
> :i>^3?*: 




























W^-M^ 



0:3^ 



■J 






-*>^ 

^mm 















iM^ 






^^^^^:^ 






- ' •- --^^^ '■ 'Jir=^ 






i^^ma^^ 



3^^ 









m 







Iti^l 



1/fjjn 






FORCE COLLECTION. 



- — ~J y.'* 



:r.^7 



UNITED STATES OP AMERICA. 



^'V'^vr.isf;F^'>'W*r;j^fi 



^'^<%,'^ %>'^'%.'^^'%>^-^'^-^;i3| 



^iM-^i 






a5A'/*^AQri^.''x^J;^#:^' 



:iMi3m^^^ i ...-::. ^•^■^.A 






mm'Smf 



m 






"~m\\^l I mw 



^^^mM^m 



Digitized by tine Internet Arciiive 
in 2011 witii funding from 
Tine Library of Congress 



http://www.archive.org/details/cruiseinwlialeboaOOrliod 



;« m t nm i'y<^ 'iWmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmi^immmmmammmima^mmmmmammmmm^i^mmmmmmmmmimimmmmammmmmimmmmmimm^^i^mmmmmimi^m r^ 



ADVENTURES BY SEA AND LAND : 



1 CRUISE IN A WHALE BOAT, 



« DURING 



A YEAR IN THE PACIFIC OCEAN 



THE INTERIOR OF SOUTH AMERICA. 



JAME.S A. RHODES 



NEW- YORK: 

NEW-YORK PUBLISHING COMPANY, 80^ NASSAU-STREET. 

(in the rear.) 

1848. 
dee 25 Cents. 



CRUISE IN A WHALE BOAT, 



A PARTY OF FUGITIVES: 



REMINISCENCES AND ADVENTURES 



DURING A YEAK IN THE 



^ / PACIFIC OCEAN 

/' 



THE INTERIOE OF SOUTH AMERICA. 



BT 



JAMES A . RHODES. 



NEW-YORK : 

NEW-YORK PUBLISHING COMPANY, 80>^ NASSAU-STREET. 
(in the rkar.) 

1848. 



.-'^ 



-f ■'• 



Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1848, by 

THEODORE FOSTER, 

in the Clerk's Office of the District Court for the Southern District of New-York. 



JOHN R. M'GOWN, printer, 
106j FULTON-STREET. 



PREFACE. 



Impelled by a boyish fancy, a few years ago I embarked on a voyage to 
the Pacific Ocean,- and while there met with many adventures, and visited 
nearly every port upon the western coast of South America, residing in 
some of them for several weeks at a time. 

Recent circumstances have induced me to put my recollections of that 
period into the present form, trusting that they will be found more or less 
interesting to all classes of people, the man of refinement, the rough sailor, 
those desirous of information, or the lovers of the marvellous. 

In conclusion : I hope that whatever errors may be noticed will be 
looked upon with a lenient eye, as the work has been hastily written, and 
under many disadvantages. 



CONTENTS. 



CHAPTER I. 



Good Reason for Deserting — Truth of the Narrative — Outward Bound Voyage — Repent 
Leaving Home — Touch at Fayal — Plans for Leaving there — Pride Prevents — An Irish- 
man's Mode of Escaping^Cruising in the Pacific for Whales — Arrive at Tombez — Bright 
Anticipations — Disappointments — Liberty Ashore — Amusements — Plans for Deserting 
the Ship ■ 9 

CHAPTER IL 

Return Punctually Aboard — Sketches of Individuals herein Concerned — Their Compact 
— Preparations for an Escape — Honest Intentions — Parting Scenes — Get Safely Off- 
Tempestuous Night — Fine Morning and out of Sight of Land — Merry Breakfast — 
Future Plans — Organize and Commence our Voyage — Hot Weather — Land Ahead- 
Heave to for the Night 14 

CHAPTER III. 

Tempestuous Weather — Exposed Quarters at Night — An Alarm — Perilous Situation — 
Narrow Escape — A Short Repose — Resume our Course — Puna — Island of Puna — Pull 
Around It — Another Night in the Boat — Varied Exposure — Scarcity of VVater — Forlorn 
Appearance — Approach the Land — Delightful Country — Hospitable Reception — Jolly 
Times — Country People, Manners, Customs, &c. — Rainy and Dry Seasons — Country 
Houses — Scarcity of Water — Filthy Pool 19 

CHAPTER IV. 

The Party Arrested and Taken Inland — The Cheese — Disinterestedness — Boat Leaves 
the Village — Humble a Puppy — A Voyage by Night — Another Village — The Meeting 
— Jolly Times — Ridiculous Costume — Put to Sea Again — Uncertainties — Wanderings 
on the Coast — Fine Scenery — Alligators — Their Habits — Dangers — Fishing Population 
— A Bonky — Barter Trades — Balsas or Catamarans 27 

CHAPTER V. 

Approach the River — Fright of a Bonky — Plenty of Fresh Water — Guard Boats — Sum- 
mons — Ascend the River— Gloomy Scenes — A Light — Go Ashore — Mosquito Story — 
The City in Sight — Beautiful Sight — Holiday Crowds — Our Reception — ^True State- 
ment — Bitter Disappointment — Arrested — Resistance — Its Results — Irons — Plan for 
Escape — Commence our Return to the Ship — Row in the Boat 33 

CHAPTER VL 

Saw off our Irons at Night — Dismay of the Guard — Beautiful Scenery — Stop at Puna — 
Plan for Liberty — The Attack — Free Again — Treatment of our Guard — Allen's Pitiful 
Story — His Duplicity — Generosity of the Men — Future Plans — Scarcity of Provisions 
— ^Pleasant Stopping Place — Singular Appearances — Absence of the Inhabitants. . 39 

CHAPTER VII. 

No Women, etc.-:-Land Pirates — New Arrival — Fighting — Peril of Allen — Another As- 
sault — Punish the Assailants — Depart — Pass the Night in the Boat — Land at El Morto 
— Sea Fowl — Quantities of Eggs — Preparations for a Delicious Meal — A Slight Disap- 
pointment — Tender Gull — Leave for Tombez — Allen's Treachery — Night Perils — 
Allen's Rascality and Departure — Land at Tombez 45 



8 CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER VIII. PAO£. 

Land at Tombez — Awful Disappointment — Flight— Wreck— Press of Sail— Great Speed 
— Reach Puna — Watch " on Deck " — Desertion of Clifford — His Baggage — Famished 
Condition — A SaU — Hospitality — Another Flight and Escape — A Night in the Boat- 
Consultation — Future Plans — Village of Puna — Oysters 50 

CHAPTER IX. 

Enter Guayaquil River — English Barque— Repair the Boat— Hard Night's Work — Alli- 
gator Dangers — Pass the City Unperceived — Go into the Interior — Night in the Boat — 
Description of Scenery — Fruits — Monkeys — Pigs — Parrots, etc. — Decide to Return — 
Various Plans — Enter the City — Surprise — Put in Irons 5G 

CHAPTER X. 

Description of the Navy of Ecuador — Provisional Allowance — Fleas, Cockroaches, &c. — 
Their Manners and Customs — Voracity — Anecdotes — Bug Tactics of a Man of War — 
Pilfering — Go to the City — Soldiers Barracks — Black Hole — Horrible Situation — 
Amusements — Removal to the Naval Steamer ; 61 

CHAPTER XL 

Description of the Steamer — Disturbance — Slow Work — A Chase at Night — Leisure Time 
— Bathing — Bad Health — Sufferings of Foreigners from Mosquitoes — Want of Sleep — 
Thunder Storms — Night Scenes — Good News — Set at Liberty — First Sensations — 
American Consul — His Liberality — Life Ashore — Description of Guayaquil — Manners 
and Customs of the People, etc Qf 

CHAPTER XIL 

Description of Guayaquil — Inhabitants — Complexion — No Prejudice — Trade — Wholesale 
and Retail — Handsome Stores — Mechanic Arts — National Incapacity — Stupid Prefer- 
ences — Saw Mills — Immigration of Mechanics, &c.. Encouraged — Inducements — 
Enterpising Yankee — Roman Catholic Religion — Immorality of the Priests of that 
Spiritual Religion — Indolence and Improvidence — Two Meals a Day — The Siesta — 
Amusements — Refreshments — Wines, &c. — Bull Fight — Music — Dislike of Foreigners 
— Reason for It — Jackasses — ^Vehicles — My Own Experience 73 

CHAPTER XHL 

Longings for Home — Treachery — Whalers — Pacific Steam Navigation Company — Steam 
ships "Peru" and "Chili" — Anxiety — Disappointment — Try Again — Succeed — 
Boatswain — English Stokers — Hospitality — Build, Officers, Crew, &c., of the Steamer 
— Duties — "Dingy Work" — Steward — Go Ashore — Sailors' Generosity — Cogitations ' 
and Conclusions — Ship for Three Months — i\.tmospheric Phenomena — Extraordinary 
Exploit. 79 

- CHAPTER XIV. 

Description — Contrasts in Climate — In Sceaery — In Countries — In Natural Productions 
— ^^In People — In Price of Fruits — In Sailing to Windward — In Beef Cattle — Splendid 
Beef^ — Yankee Vegetables — Good Living — " Copper John" — Standing Joke — Hydro- 
pathy — Passengers — Ludicrous Stupidity — Content — Continued — Slaves — Anchor in 
Guayaquil — Jolly Times — Pine Apples — Gold and Silver — Animals — Monkey Shines — 
Aguadiente — Landing at Pisco 88 

CHAPTER XV. 

Singular Boats — Fishermen — Abundance of Fish — Numbers of Birds — Seals — Police 
Regulations and Customs, etc. — " Scrape," in Valparaiso — Old Tom — Arrested — 
Stock Transactions — Lambayeque — Northers — Stormy Scene — Perilous Adventures — 
Go Ashore — Talcahuana • . 95 

CHAPTER XVI. 

General Remarks — Theories, &c. — Natural Influences — First Settlers — Creoles — Differ- 
ences in Bodily Strength — Disposition, &c. — Foreign Adventurers — Hospitality — Own 
Experience — Beach Combers — Singular Manners and Customs — Flogging — Tlie Com- 
modore — Wine — Close. ..-..,.,,.. 102 



A CRUISE IN A WHALE BOAT. 



CHAPTER I. 

Good Reason for Deserting — Truth of the Narrative — Outward Bound Voyage — Repent 
Leaving Home — Touch at Fayal — Plans for Leaving there — Pride Prevents — An Irishman's 
Mode of Escaping — Cruising in the Pacific for Whales — Arrive at Tombez — Bright Anticipa- 
tions — Disappointments — liberty Ashore — Amusements — Plans for Deserting the Ship. 

It is generally well known that out of the crews of whaling vessels, few ever 
return in the ships on board of which they departed ; and for this result there 
are many and abundant reasons, which exculpate the sailor entirely from 
blame. Very many arise from the great difference between the freedom 
and enjoyment which are incidental, in a greater or less degree, to the life of 
every one in our happy land of Liberty, and the restraints, hardships, priva- 
tions, and irksomeness of life at sea, where neither new faces, or scarcely 
land, is seen for many months at a time. This difference is felt in its fullest 
extent, by the crews of whalers, composed as they are, almost entirely of 
green-horns, seasoned with merely a sufficient number of old salts to teach 
them " the ropes ;" and it is but natural for their disgust at the generalities 
of a seafaring life, to be accompanied by a strong aversion to the officers 
and discipline of the ship aboard of which they are first experienced ; where, 
the discipline and hardships being itcw, and sometimes aggravated by home- 
sickness, they are most severely felt, thereby causing them to consider their 
ship and officers the worst of all others, and to seek relief by a change of 
scene. 

Consider, too, the consequences of confining some twenty or thirty men, 
of all ages, nations, colors, characters, and dispositions, together, for months 
and years at a time, in a narrow space, engaged in one monotonous and 
inexpressibly irksome round of duties, varied only by an occasional period 
of excitement when whales are killed, again to relapse into weary lisl- 
lessness. Here is no room for seclusion ; likes and dislikes, friendships and 
enmities must be formed, and wo to the unhappy wretch whose peculiarities 
make him the scapegoat of such a set, or to those who may have excited 
%he hatred of officers who delight to tyrannise over and " haze " their 
victims. While at sea such persons may, with less elegance than truth, be 
compared to << cats in hell without any claws," and relief is seldom to be 



10 - CRUISE IN A WHALE BOAT. 

obtained, but by escaping from the floating pandemonium to the shore, at 
the first opportunity. 

This is the most common expedient, and strange as h may seem, it is 
not unfrequently the case, that the officers of a ship use every means in their 
power, by rendering fife intolerable, to induce such a course to be taken by 
the crew. The reason for this will readily be j^erceived, when it is consi- 
dered that the men forfeit their share in the profits of .the voyage by deser- 
tion, and such a loss is somebody's gain. 

But it is unnecessary to give any more of the many reasons which may 
exist for a man's pursuing such a course. Suffice it lo say, that sailors have 
from time immemorial made a practice of running away from their ship, 
when they feel disposed, and will probably continue to do so for some time 
to come. We merely wish to show that a person could, under certain cir- 
custances, gratify a disposition to travel and spare himself the pain of bidding 
farewell, without infringing upon honorable principles. 

While spinning our present yarn we intend to confine ourselves prirvci- 
pally to actual scenes and occurrences, in an expedition which was prompted 
by a desire to escape from tyrannical and unjust treatment. They were 
certainly not deficient in interest or excitement, and sometimes pleasure to 
the actors ; and in our narrative we shall endeavor, by faithfully represent- 
ing them, to make them equally interesting, and, we charitably hope, much 
more agreeable, to those who may honor us with their attention. It may 
add to the interest of our tale, when we assert that we .shall represent 
nothing but what actually occurred, in its regular order, as faithfully as our 
memory will enable us to do, after a lapse of two or three years. Indeed 
an acquaintance with the writer would only confirm what will easily be per- 
ceived, that we are rarely embarrased by a too luxuriant imagination, and 
that we are exercising but little self-denial in confining ourselves to facts. 

We shall waste but few words on our outward bound voyage and 
cruising in the Pacific after whales ; not that it was devoid of interest, but 
enough has been written on such subjects for the present generation. Neither 
will we make out a list of the grievances which gave rise to a fixed, we 
may almost say a desperate resolution to leave our ship : or describe the 
estimable characters who ranked as Captain and Mate. If they were 
parsimonious, tyrannical and brutal to the last degree, they were good chris- 
tians at home, where their exemplary conduct and fervent piety were 
extremely edifying. This being a guaranty in our opinion of good treat- 
ment, we confess we were a little surprised when ordered to our regular 
employment on the first Sunday out, to hear the Captain jocularly remark, 
" no soundings no Sundays." 

As for ourselves individually we had profoundly repented of a certain 
headstrong determination, which is common to youths of 18 or 19 years of 
age, during the six weeks previous to our touching at Fayal for a stock of 
vegetables, he, &c. Rendered almost desperate by home-sickness, we 
thought only of escaping from the horrible life which was intended to last 
for three years from the time of our departure, and had made suitable pre- 
parations for deserting at this place. In these we had been assisted by a 



A CRUISE IN A WHALE BOAT. {% 

coaple of Portuguese, who had relatives on shore, whom we recompensed 
by a gift of the effects, worth about a hundred and fifty dollars, which we 
were obliged to leave behind. . Therefore, just previous to the time when 
it was our turn to go on shore for a few hours, we arrayed ourselves in two 
or three shirts, as many -pairs of pants and stockings, our best hat, &c. &;c., 
not forgetting to put a spare biscuit and a potato or two in our pockets, to 
subsist upon in the rural excursion which we contemplated ; and after 
secretly exchanging adieu with all but the officers, we jumped lightly over 
the side and took our place in the boat for the .city, which was some two or 
three miles distant. 

The prospect of freedom and a speedy return to our native land removed 
a mountainous load which had long oppressed our home-sick soul, and we 
again felt an elasticity of spirts as new as delightful. Bright visions of 
happiness once enjoyed, and familiar haunts rendered dear by absence, arose 
in our mind, and in imagination we rushed to embrace our friends whose 
worth we had never before rightly appreciated — warm greetings sprung to 
our lips which they returned with — with — what? Here commenced 
an entirely new train of thought ; we remembered that our determination 
had caused much sorrow and anguish, but that after a fruitless opposition 
our friends were obliged to content themselves by providing us with every 
thing we could possibly make use of. Now there was no question but that 
we were beloved, hut what would they say if we came home within a couple 
of months, after our headstrong determination to be absent for three years. 
Reflection upon this point caused a peculiar sinking sensation in the region 
of the stomach, and we straightway determined to return to the ship and 
not leave her until she had doubled Cape Horn ; by which time our expe- 
rience would excite admiration rather than laughter. We therefore went 
on board again, much to the chagrin of our legatees, whom we found quar- 
reling over the division of our effects ; we immediately constituted ourselves 
an umpire in the disputes, and discovered a talent for the legal profession 
by appropriating the property in question to ourselves as a compensation for 
our services. 

Some two or three others endeavored to escape, but they were all 
retaken except one who had previously been considered *' the fool" — par 
eminence. He was of Irish descent and exhibited a national peculiarity in 
refusing to take any other kind of provisions with him excepting potatoes, of 
which, to the amazement of all present, he managed to stow away at least a 
peck about his person. His method of doing this was, to us at least, perfectly 
original. He pulled on a pair of woolen drawers which set close but were 
vesy elastic ; and into these he shoved as many boiled potatoes as the 
ample proportions of his go-ashore trowsers would allow — pulling them on, 
he filled his pockets, and lastly managed to stow a few small ones in his hat. 

All rejoiced at the escape of the cockney whose early experience had 
evidently unfitted him for a sailor's life. He was made up of peculiarities 
which made him the butt of every one ; and could not be induced to relin- 
quish the idea that it was highly dangerous to ascend the " footsteps " of 
the rigging in a dark night, without the aid of a lantern which he occasion- 
ally solicited from the officer of the deck. 



JO A CRUISE IN A WHALE BOAT. 

We doubled Cape Horn in October, and after touching at Juan Fer- 
nandez on our way to the torid zone, commenced our whaling opera- 
tions. We engaged the more ardently in this business on account of our 
Captain's assurance that we should be liberally supplied with " liberty 
money " if we obtained a certain quantity of oil. We were fortunate, and 
obtained much more, before we shaped our course for the land, after a con- 
tinued and irksome residence aboard the ship of eight long months, with 
the exception of a few hours at Fayal, And the delight which all experi-^ 
enced as the cry of " Land Ho," rang out long and loudly from the mast- 
heads can scarcely be imagined much less described. It was like the opening 
of prison doors to the inhabitants of a dungeon. Soon we inhaled the 
breezes ladened with the fragrance of luxuriant tropical vegetation and, 
rapidly approaching the land, we were soon standing off and on before the 
town of Payti. We stopped merely long enough for the Captain to pro- 
cure two additional hands, when we shaped our course for the port of 
Tombez, intending to stop there two or three weeks. 

We arrived about sundown and were somewhat disappointed at our 
Captain's choice, which we learnt was determined by his desire to prevent 
any one from attempting to escape ; he had therefore selected the spot which 
of all others was least inviting — principally on account of the paucity of 
people, who did not number more than fifteen or twenty, beside children, 
dogs and fleas, which were very abundant. The town itself was situated 
inland some 8 or 10 miles from the mouth of the river, of the same name, 
and the dozen buildings we saw, were principally used for commercial 
purposes, receiving and storing goods. They were built upon the bank of 
the river just inside the bar, and on all other sides surrounded by almost 
impenetrable woods. There was not much variety therefore in the scenery, 
but it was a pleasing contrast to the situation we had endured for some time 
past. Our enjoyments however were somewhat qualified by the clouds of 
musquitoes which filled the air at all times. We never had any idea of 
such a voracious and blood-thirsty class of animals ; nothing in the shape 
of clothing, however thick, was any protection ; the attempts to protect our 
persons by wearing thick woolen garments, in spite of the heat, were utterly 
useless. We shall have occasion perhaps to allude to this annoyance again, 
but when we do not do so the reader may imagine us constantly employing 
one hand at least in slapping our faces and bodies whenever we were 
within five miles of the land. 

After working for a day or two between ship and shore, the starboard 
watch were told to prepare themselves for three days of liberty. Mean- 
while we had been pleasing ourselves with expectations of jolly times in the 
city, where we understood that fruits were very delicious, abundant and 
cheap, to say nothing of aguadiente. Imagine our dismay therefore when 
we received orders not to go more than half a mile from shore, and were told 
that we could not have a dollar to spend, while at the same time the Captain 
would make no other provision for us than to pay for two meals a day in a 
miserable pulperia. Such barbarity, after a tedious cruise of eight months, 
with another equally long and delightful one in prospect was not particu- 



A CRUISE IN A WHALE BOAT. 13 

lariy pleasing, and only tended to confirm sundry resolutions to escape at 
all hazard. 

We were not to be entirely baulked, however, and taking a large quan- 
tity of our clothes ashore, we were enabled to purchase a few gallons of 
New England, and secure a Spanish fiddler. Bullocks' hides were then 
spread upon the elastic floor of our boarding house, and in company with 
the crew of another ship, between dancing, drinking, and singing we spent 
day and night in most uproarious mirth, varying the exercises occasionally 
by riding donkeys and chasing alligators, which were abundant enough. 
It sometimes happened though that they turned the tables upon their pur- 
suers and made us exercise no little ingenuity and motive power to effect 
an escape. 

But none of us, meanwhile, had forgotten our resolutions to escape ; and 
it was while cogitating upon the idea of a solitary expedition, that We were 
made acquainted with a plan which had long been resolved upon by some 
of the choicest spirits on board ; it was to leave in a boat at night, with 
sufficient stores to last until some port could be gained, where there might 
be opportunities to depart under more favorable circumstances. But after 
arriving at Tombez, two had changed their minds for certain reasons, and 
we were invited, as a special proof of friendship, to fill one of the vacancies, 
with the explanation that we should have been originally included in the 
number, but it was feared that our health, which was delicate, would disable 
us from enduring the unavoidable exposure and fatigue of the trip. Any 
thing, however, was preferable to a longer stay aboard the ship, and we gladly 
accepted the generous invitation. The plan then determined upon, was to 
punctually return aboard the ship when our leave of absence had expired, 
and depart in a night or two after, which was the 18th of February, 184 — . 



CHAPTER IL 

Return Punctually Aboard — Sketches of Individuals herein Concerned — Their Compact — 
Preparations for an Escape — Honest Intentions — Parting Scenes — Get Safely Off — Tempes- 
tuous Night — Fine Morning and out of Sight of Land — Meny Breakfast — Future Plans — 
Organize and Commence our Voyage — Hot Weather — Laud Ahead — Heave too for the 
Night. 

Upon our return to the ship, the Captain could not conceal his joy at the 
success of his plans for preventing our desertion ; but we said nothing and 
secretly got our things ready for a start. It may be well now, before pro- 
ceeding farther, to give a brief sketch of the individuals whose wanderings 
and adventures we are about to relate, premising that we shall of course 
substitute fictitious names for real ones. Two of the party were petty officers, 
or boatsteerers, who live aft and exercise a limited authority over the crew. 
We shall designate them as Sherman and Albert. Out of the four boat- 
steerers on board, they were the most active, daring, and resolute — and 
although neither were over twenty-two years of age, their exploits and 
prowess in capturing and killing whales were unsurpassed, and commanded 
the admiration of all hands. Brave, and generous to a fault, they were 
beau-ideals of a true blue sailor — differing mostly in this, that Sherman was 
cool and persevering, while Albert was very excitable and prone to fickle- 
ness. The remainder of the party, with one exception, had shipped as 
green hands. Porter was a Vermonter, about seven feet in length, and had 
been both a teamster and apprentice to a blacksmith — perfectly cool and 
unflinching, with an iron frame, he was a man of few words, and invariably 
replied to any prudent doubts, " we can do any thing we set out to do." 
Lawrence was the son of a country printer, in the State of New-York — 
not remarkably bright, but of a good disposition, and a clever fellow. 
Clifford was one of the men who liad shipped in Payti, whom we took the 
more readily, because he pretended to know something about the coast. 
He had evidently, as he told us, received a collegiate education, but he was 
the hardest kind of a customer ; reckless and unprincipled, he boasted of 
having more than once vanquished his antagonist in deadly combat, and 
had participated a great deal in the unhappy wars which have so long dis- 
tracted the naturally rich and beautiful provinces of South America. Indeed, 
at the time of his coming aboard, he wore bandages both on an arm and leg, 
which had been pierced by bayonets, but were then nearly healed. Fear 
he seemed utterly unconscious of, and we have seen him when crossing the 
bar, where the sharks were numerous and voracious, throw himself from the 
boat into the breakers, and wantonly plunging his knive into one of the 
monsters, regain the boat in safety. Still he was not, when sober, an 



A CRUISE IN A WHALE BOAT., 15 

unpleasant companion, as he combined a frank and cordial address with a 
reckless generosity, which prompted him to make any sacrifice for another, 
and refrain from imposing upon any one weaker than himself. Add to 
this your humble servant, the writer of these pages, who prefers to remain 
incog, and the list is complete. 

Our ages ranged from nineteen to twenty-three, and with all the enthu- 
siasm of youth, and the excitement with which the nature of the expedition 
inspired us, we vowed to stand by and support each other in all the scenes 
we might pass through. In truth, had we been brothers, there could not 
have been more unanimity or good feeling manifested from the time we 
united until we finally separated for different parts of the world. The re- 
membrance of it, contrasting as it does with our later experience in more 
refined society, throws a charm over that period of our life which prevents 
our regretting the privations and dangers which called forth such pure and 
noble feelings, and we do not think of them with less satisfaction because 
they were accompanied by honest roughness instead of insincere refinement. 

As we had no wish to profit by our escape other than to gain our liberty, 
we first of all determined to take the least valuable of the boats belonging^ 
to the ship, and nothing beside our own property but what was absolutely 
n-ecessary for the voyage, which we erroneously thought would be of only^ 
three or four days' duration. We thereby could not, by any possibility, be 
morally guilty of theft, as our collective shares of oil were more than three 
times as valuable as the articles we took from the ship ; the boat was very" 
old and leaky, having already seen about five years' service in former voy- 
ages, which fact proved our honesty, as we could as easily have taken any^ 
one of the three other boats, which were entirely new. j 

The night we had determined on at last arrived, it was dark and threat- 
ening, but as yet no rain. The rainy season was just commencing, and 
we had previously been made aware of the fact by frequent and heavy 
showers which came and departed with singular suddenness. The officers 
while in port slept all night below, leaving the deck in charge of the boat- 
steerers, who took turns in standing watch for three hours at a time. Sher- 
man and Albert had the watches from twelve until six o'clock in the morn- 
ing, during which time we intended to leave, and as soon after midnight a^ 
possible. At nigbifall we turned into our berths to avoid suspicion. We 
slept but little ; and soon after the watch was changed at midnight we si- 
lently ascended to the deck. Soma half-a-dozen were lying abosit who had. 
jeeft the forecastle on account of the heat, but tliey were all sleepin'^* 
soundly; and we immediately commenced furnishing the boiit witli sail,; 
oars, water, provisions, and our clothing, as rapidly and silently as possible. 
And our nerves, meanwhile, were not any more tranquil Irora the fact t))3t 
it was possible that some one of the officers might come on deck at any mo- 
ment during the hour that we were getting off. The most difficult part of, 
the business was the filling of a blanket with bread from a cask that was , 
situated about a foot from the head of the berth where the captain wa^ 
sleeping. Fortune favored us, however, and we were undisturbed : the 
last thing put into the boat was a large cheese, which it will be seen proved 



1^5. A CRUISE IN A WHALE BOAT. 

of great use. We then, in order to secure an uninterrupted departure, se- 
curely fastened the doors leading into the cabins where the officers were 
sleeping, by winding large ropes about the companion way. Just then the 
wind began to blow harder in fitful blasts, while the blackness of the sky 
and the large and heavy drops of rain which commenced falling, betokened 
the rapid approach of a heavy thunder storm. 

We could not wait for it to pass by, however, but hastily and cautious-- 
ly stepping over our sleeping shipmates, four of us took our places in the, 
boat which was hanging by the ship's side. Then the other two, after 
wetting the puUies and ropes to prevent their making any noise, gently 
lowered away, and sliding down to the boat after she had reached the 
water, we pushed off from the ship. 

We lay on our oars in silence for a few moments so that we might drift 
a few yards before we commenced puUing, which we feared might wake 
some on board ; for a few moments nought was heard but the mournful 
howling of the wind through the rigging, the dashing of the waves as they 
broke round us, and the hoarse and sullen roar of the heavy rollers breaking 
upon the beach, and for the first time depressing sensations assailed us. 
It seemed almost like parting with 'an old friend to leave the old ship which 
had done us no wrong, and had carried us safely through so many dangers ; 
while at the same time we involuntarily compared our exposed situation, in 
view of the coming tempest, to a snug berth aboard. These feelings were 
but momentary however, and exchanging a few cheering words with each 
other we struck into a long and steady pull, steering square out into the 
ocean and directly against the wind. This we had determined to do be- 
cause we knew that 'once out of sight of land, the captain might as well 
try to find a needle in a haystack as ourselves, and that his only chance of 
catching us would be either to send or touch at such ports as he might con- 
clude that we would stop at. Our conjectures turned out to be correct, 
but we had to deal with an old head, and he caught us after all ; but con- 
cerning our capture and re-escape we will speak by and by. 

In a few moments after our departure the tempest burst over our heads ; 
it came butt-end foremost, and with a fury and violence peculiar to a tropi- 
cal thunder storm. Amid the pitchy darkness of the night and the pouring 
rain, the lightning played and glared around us incessantly, seeming like 
evil genii escaping from the mouth of hell, while long continued peals of 
thunder rattled overhead with a stunning and awful roar. The waves too 
rapidly rising covered us with spray as, dashing through the water, our boat 
rose and fell upon the long and angry swells. We had seen old Neptune 
in. his angr}^' moods, however, too often to be daunted by the raising of the 
waves, which he produced, as Virgil declares, by stirring up the sea from 
the bottom with his trident ; somewhat, we profanely suppose, like an enor- 
mous washwoman poking dirty clothes in a vast cauldron of raging suds. 
One of us meanv/hile had enough to do to keep the boat free from the water, 
which came in on all sides, and for four hours the storm continued in una- 
bated fury, while we continued to pull without ceasing. As dayhght 
approached, however, the« tempest rapidly subsided, and the rising sun 



JL GlUlSie IN A. WiiALE BOAT. ^7 

quickly scattered the tempestuous clouds, the wind too soon died away to 
a perfect calm, causing the sea to subside into long and glassy swells. 
We then peaked our oars, and enlivened by the brightness and warmth of 
the brilliant sun, took a leisurely survey of the scene around us. 

We had made good headway during the night, so that our distance from 
the land caused it to appear in the distance like a light blue cloud just 
above the horizon ; nothing else met the eye but old ocean's wide expanse, 
still evincing by its uneasiness the agitation caused by the retreating storm. 
The sun shone brightly, and forgetting the troubles of the night we gaily 
commenced operations by exchanging our soaked clothing for drier gar- 
ments,, after which we attacked our bread and beef with right good will. 
We were in glorious spirits, and no doubt resembled a party of pleasure on 
a pic-nic excursion more than anything, else. For the first time in many 
months we felt the blessings of freedom, and our joy and exuitation were 
unbounded. Little thought we of the past, or cared for the future trials, 
while laughter, songs and jokes passed merrily round ; we pictured to our- 
selves the astonishment and rueful countenances which the morning's suii 
had disclosed, and like all other merry fools roared heartily at our own folly ; 
and our mirth was not lessened by Knowing that three of the men whose 
liberty expired that morning, had commenced making tracks over land on 
the evening before for the same place we were bound to. 

Breakfast over, however, we held a consultation as to our plans for the 
future, and in accordance with our previous determination, we concluded to 
steer directly for the city of Guayaquil. This was about two hundred miles 
distant, in a northerly direction, being situated about two degrees south of 
the Line, and about forty miles inland, upon the banks of the river bearing 
that name. We then organised ourselves into a regular body, assigning to 
each his place in the boat and peculiar duties. Albert and Sherman, we 
decided, should take turns in working the large steering oar which ran out 
aft, and, while one was thus employed^ the other should pull the bow oar, 
as it is customary for boatsteerers to do ; also that the one at the helm 
should be for the time being the Captain of the crew, and maintain proper 
discipline, with the proviso that no important step should be taken with- 
out the concurrence of the whole, as each one was considered of equal 
importance. 

Our provisions were then overhauled, and the amount to be distributed 
at each meal determined on ; as to water, we had three large boat kegs full, 
each of which held about eight gallons, so that we drank that ad libitum. 

All things being thus an-anged, we packed away our clothes, which had 
been drying in the sun, and made every thing snug and resumed our oars. 
The sun by this time was high in the heavens, and we soon found his rays 
oppressively hot, as there was not a breath of air. It being nothing more, 
though, than we had been accustomed to, with strong arms and cheerful 
hearts we pulled a long and measured stroke, until the sun was directly over 
head, when we peaked our oars for dinner. Just previous to this we had 
discovered highland a long distance ahead, which Clifford rightly pro^ 
nounced to be " El Morto," or " Dead Man's Island ;" so named both from 
2 



]_8 A CRUISE IN A WHALE BOAT. 

'its shape, which has some resemblance to a man lying on his back, and from 
the numerous and dangerous reefs surrounding it, which have caused many 
a poor fellow to meet with a watery grave. It is merely a narrow strip of 
sand and rocks, about four miles in length by one in breadth, situated some 
twenty or thirty miles from shore, with a light house upon its eastern 
extremity. 

Hastily despatching our meal, although somewhat fatigued, we imme- 
diately resumed our oars and kept on our course, as we wished if possible 
to reach the island and pass the night on shore, not much fancying a 
repetition of the scenes of the previous night. Owing to the height of the 
land, however, we were greatly deceived as to its real distance, and by sun- 
set we were still some ten or fifteen miles distant, with the knowledge that 
the darkness would soon prevent our being able to effect a landing through 
the surf. We, therefore, concluded to heave the boat too under shortened 
sail, and pass the night on board. We accordingly prepared for it, by 
dividing the night into three watches, by which arrangement two would 
be awake and on duty at a time — one to keep the boat's head to the wind, 
while the other baled out the craft, which leaked badly. 



CHAPTER III. 

Tempestuous Weather — Exposed Quarters at Night — An Alarm — Perilous Situation — Narrow 
Escape — A Short Repose — Resume our Course — Puna — Island of Puna — Pull Around It — 
Another Night in the Boat — Varied Exposure — Scarcity of Water — Forlorn Appearance — 
Approach the Land — Delightful Country — Hospitable Reception — Jolly Times — Country 
People, Manners, Customs, &c. — Rainy and Dry Seasons — Country Houses — Scarcity of 
Water— Filthy Pool. 

The sky had for some two or three hours previous, given pretty strong 
indications of foul weather, and by sunset it was completely overcast with 
heavy clouds, which were rapidly hurried along by the rising gale. We 
occasionally heard the thunder growling and muttering in the distance, and 
within a few minutes after sunset we were enveloped in a thick darkness, 
which prevented our distinguishing any thing but the white caps of the 
curling waves as they broke within a short distance of the boat. It was 
not long before the rain began to descend in torrents, accompanied by a 
raging gale, which gave promise of a night still more tempestuous than the 
last ; we were under little anxiety, however, as we knew that our boat 
would out-ride almost any gale of wind, provided that there was plenty of 
sea-room, which we considered to be the case with us. Therefore, fatigued 
and exhausted, each man not on duty, stretched himself upon his seat, as 
far as the width of the boat would allow, and although entirely exposed to 
the descending flood, we soon forgot all discomforts in the most obHvious 
of slumbers. 

The night wore slowly away to those on watch until two or three 
o'clock in the morning, when we were suddenly startled and aroused by the 
loud cry of " all hands, man the boat ! pull for your lives !" Instantly all 
oars were in the water, and the boat under weigh, with Albert, whose 
watch it was, at the helm, pale as a ghost and bareheaded, his long hair 
streaming in the wind. We then began to comprehend our situation, which 
was perilous enough to make the stoutest heart tremble. The waves were 
running very high, owing to the unabated violence of the tempest, while 
the rain still descended in sheets ; but worse than all else, rollers mountain 
high were breaking with a thundering roar, upon a reef within a few rods of 
us, which we had evidently drifted over while the tide was at the full ; 
pulling hastily away from these, we were just beginning to congratulate 
ourselves upon our almost miraculous escape, when by the lurid glare of 
the lightning which illuminated the midnight gloom, we discovered break- 
ers a short distance ahead of us. We had evidently been swept by cur- 
rents we had not calculated upon, among rocks which were covered 
sufficiently at high water to allow of the heavy swells of the Pacific 



20 A CRUISE IN A WHALE BOAT. 

passing over them to expend their Science against the rocky shores 
of El Morto ; but, exposed by the falling tide, they caused Hie for- 
mation of breakers, any one of which, had we been overtaken by them, 
would have swept us all into eternity. Ignorant, therefore, of the bearings 
of the reefs, and uncertain as to where breakers might any moment appear, 
as the tide continued to fall, our perplexity and distress may be easier ima- 
gined than described. Perceiving breakers both before and behind us, we 
pulled a-starboard, hoping to find a passage into the open sea, but a short 
pull likewise disclosed breakers ahead, and upon steering in an opposite di- 
rection, we were also repulsed ; in fact, we were surrounded on all sides. 
The horrors of that night will never be obliterated from our minds. The 
almost uninterrupted crashing of heaven's artillery, combined, with the 
thundering roar of the rollers which were breaking on all sides of us, in pro- 
ducing an uproar that was absolutely deafening. In addition to the heavy 
rain which was violently driven by the furious blasts, hardly permitting us 
to breathe, the impenetrable darkness of the night prevented ' our seeing 
each other in the boat, except when the horrors of the scene were disclosed 
by the sepulchral light of the lightning which played incessantly around us. 
This was, in fact, the means of our salvation, as we were thereby enabled 
to keep at a little distance from all the surrounding rocks as they were dis- 
closed by the falling tide. For three or four hours we were thus employed, 
pulling hither and thither, often making the narrowest escapes, until the 
morning's light began to dawn ; and the scene which was then disclosed 
only increased our surprise that we had lived to behold it, as we found our- 
selves between two long and frightful reefs about one quarter of a mile 
apart and three or four miles in length. 

We were glad enough to see daylight appear, and the storm abate at 
the same time ; we immediately began to look for a passage through the 
rocks, and soon discovered a narrow one which the darkness of the past 
night had prevented our observing. We soon passed it with difficulty, 
and did not stop pulling until we were in blue water and four or five miles 
from the inhospitable coast. By this time the rain had ceased, and the sun 
appearing, we peaked our oars in order to attend to our personal comfort, 
which of late had been sadly encroached upon. 

After a couple of hours spent in refreshing ourselves, we were obliged 
to resume our oars, as there was not wind enough to fill the sail. We now 
began to feel the want of one of the compasses which were at hand when 
we left the ship, but which we reframed from taking, in accordance with 
our resolve to take nothing we could possibly do without. We were fully 
undeceived however before the cruise was over, in our supposition that a 
compass was not particularly needed. The main land was visible in the 
distance, however, and shaping our course by the aid of that and the sun, 
we continued on our way. Before many hours we came in sight of the 
green hills, and dense woods of the fertile island of Puna, which is thirty or 
forty miles in length by about twenty five in breadth, and on which, as we 
afterwards discovered, there are many fine villages on the side next the 
main land. 



A CRUISE IN A WHALE BOAT. 21 

Not being certain about its situation relative to the nnouth of the river 
Guayaquil, which we wished to enter, we unfortunately concluded to pull 
around it and approach the main land from the other side, by which course 
we struck a point forty or fifty miles farther north, than where we wished to 
go. We also determined to effect a landing on the island if possible before 
night. We were again disappointed, however, and were obliged to remain 
in the boat, taking care to heave too at a sufficient distance from the land. 
There was scarcely any wind during the night, but as usual it rained heavi- 
ly ; so that between being scorched by the intense heat of a tropical sun 
by day, and thoroughly soaked at night, we did not lack for variety. We 
welcomed the rain this time, however, as we were tormented by thirst, owing 
to a discovery we had made in the early part of the day. Our smallest keg 
of water having been exhausted, we tapped another, but on applying it to 
our lips, what was our dismay at finding the water perfectly salt, and on a 
trial of the other keg it was found to be of the same kind. This was owing 
to their having been in the boat when they crossed the bar at Tombez, 
upon which the heavy breakers capsized us about every overy other time 
we went ashore ; and having been filled with salt water while floating about, 
they were brought on board without being emptied. As they were always 
kept full of fresh water for use, we of course did not think of tasting them, 
in the haste of our departure. 

We therefore endeavored to catch some rain water which was descend- 
ing upon us in the greatest abundance ; for this purpose we made use of 
the boat's sail by which to direct it into a bucket. Our efforts were no 
practical benefit to us, however, owing to the sail itself having been for some 
time saturated with salt water and also to the spray which was continually 
dashing over us and the boat, so that we were obliged to content ourselves 
with what our bodies might absorb during the night from our saturated 
clothing. 

The morning dawned at last, and upon rather a forlorn looking set, as 
the constant fatigue and exposure which we endured, in addition to a tor- 
menting thirst, were beginning to affect our strength. We lost no time in 
getting under weigh, however, immediately after eating our allowance of 
bread, and shaping our course for the main land, which was some twenty 
miles distant. There not being wind enough to fill the sail, we were obliged 
to pull the whole distance, and it was not until nearly noon that we had got 
within a mile or two of the shore. 

We could not help being highly pleased with the beauty and freshness 
of the country which lay before us, and of which we could hare an exten- 
sive view from the boat. The rugged peaks of the lofty Andes, blue in the 
distance, added grandeur to the scene, and nobly contrasted with the charm- 
ing foreground which, beautifully undulating, was finely diversified with 
smiling fields and shady groves, where the waving palms seemed to invite 
repose, far surpassing all our previous conceptions of the beauties and luxu- 
riance of tropical scenery. Inspired by the loveliness of the scene, we 
made all haste to land in front of a pretty hamlet which was situated just 
before us at about a quarter of a mile from the beach ; the inhabitants of 



2^ A CRUISE IN A WHALE BOAT. 

which we saw coming down en masse to receiye us, but whether with 
friendly or hostile intentions we were uncertain. 

On approaching the shore however our suspicions were soon dispelled ; 
several rushed into the breakers and seizing the long painter of our boat 
which we threw to them, pulled us rapidly and safely to the beach ; as many 
then taking hold as could find room to do so, merrily hauled the boat above 
high water mark. 

We could not have been more hospitably or warmly received than we 
were by these people, whom we soon discovered were a small community 
of simple fishermen. They were of Spanish intermixed with Indian. blood, 
with pleasing and open countenances, and complexions varying in color 
from almost pure white to deep bronze. They were evidently, although 
not wanting in natural vivacity, very unsophisticated and" uncontaminated 
with the vices of civilized life. Their wants easily supplied, and seldom 
visiting other places or seeing strangers, they led a happy and tranquil life 
with but little care or anxiety about the future. 

We were no sooner on land than they all crowded around us evincing 
the utmost curiosity, sympathy, and even admiration ; which was accounted 
for by their telling us that but two or three of them had ever seen an 
Englishman or American before. Perceiving however that we were some- 
what exhausted with fatigue and thirst, they pressed us to accompany them 
to their houses and stay as long as we pleased, which invitation we readily 
accepted. Having easily obtained a promise from us to pass the night with 
them, they insisted upon carrying every thing we possessed except the boat 
itself, to the house we were to occupy ; and every one that could, seizing 
ari article, brought it after us, as in company with our fair entertainers, 
especially, we took up our line of march for the village. Arriving there 
a spacious room was placed at our disposal, and the crowd soon retired to 
give us time for refreshment and repose. It will readily be believed that 
we did ample justice to an excellent dinner of fish, fowl, rice, plantains, 
he, which was soon provided for us. 

After reposing for an hour or two, we received an invitation from the 
worthy priest of the village, to the effect that he would be happy to have 
us visit him. We therefore, after carefully attending to our simple toilet, 
ascended to his house, where we met with a very cordial and kind reception. 
The old gentlemen seemed very much interested in the recital of our adven- 
ture, he, which we gave him, and gave evidence of a cultivated mind by 
the inquiries which be made concerning our native land. 

Although he was pledged by his profession to a life of celibacy, we 
were introduced to his son, a fine looking fellow of twenty, whose pretty 
wife did the honors of the house. After presenting us with some delicious 
aguadiente, superior to any we have ever tasted since, and which highly 
raised the old gentleman in the estimation of the men, as a man of taste and 
discernment, we took our leave much pleased with our reception. 

We must not omit alluding to our kind host and his family, who so 
warmly studied our comfort and happiness. He was about sixty years of 
age, grave and dignified, and, an official of some kind, evidently not depend- 



A CRUISE IN A WHALE BOAT. 23 ^ 

ing like the rest, upon the labor of his hands for support, and, as well as 
his wife, he was of almost unmixed Spanish blood, which was evidenced by 
his light complexion. His wife was a very amiable woman, but not the 
least attractive personages in the house were her two very pretty and inter- 
esting daughters, of about seventeen and eighteen years of age. Lively 
and amiable, we had no little pleasure in their society, which, with that of a 
few other visitors, we enjoyed until late in the evening ; we were of course 
" distinguished strangers," and they were apparently no less delighted by 
our sea songs, than we were charmed while listening to their simple ballads. 
They, as well as the women generally, were dressed with a due regard to 
the heat of the climate and their love of ease. Although their dresses, 
which are imported ready made, were fashioned a la Anglaise, they con- 
fined them no higher than the waist, and suffering the sleeves and upper 
part of the dress to hang negligently down, were innocently prodigal of 
their charms, which were but partially concealed by a muslin garment, the 
name of which is, of course, unknown to us. We must not omit saying, 
also, that for purity and virtue, they are ornaments to their sex. 

The men, like the common people elsewhere, generally wore little else 
than colored cotton shirts, trowsers confined to the waist by a red sash, and 
broad brimmed straw or palm-leaf hats. Both sexes are generally very 
temperate in their diet, seldom drinking to excess, and very clean in their 
clothing and persons. 

It may not be amiss here to make a few general remarks also concern- 
ing the manner of constructing houses in the country, which are equally 
applicable wherever the year may be distinctly divided into seasons, the 
" rainy " and " dry." In the latitude we were in, the " rainy season " 
commenced sometime in February, and continues about three months ; 
during this period the rain descends almost constantly, mostly in heavy 
showers, at all hours of day and night, accompanied frequently by a great 
deal of thunder and lightning. After the rainy season is over, there is 
hardly ever a single shower for the nine succeeding months. This is of 
course, the most delightful season of the year ; although the weather is ex- 
ceedingly hot during the middle and greater part of the day, a delightful 
and cooling breeze invariably arises, even in the interior of the country, 
about sunset, and continues the greater part of the night. 

During the wet season the land in the country, where it cannot be 
drained as in the city, is of course completely saturated, and sometimes co- 
vered by the continued rains. To this is owing the almost universal custom 
of building the houses upon posts or piles from six to twelve feet in height, 
on the top of which the floor of the building is constructed ; this, as well 
as the sides, is generally constructed of the large bamboos or canes which 
may everywhere be found in abundance ; the roof also is constructed of the 
same, and thatched with dried palm leaves, which make it impenetrable to 
the rain. Owing to the warmth of the climate, one side of the house is ge- 
nerally left entirely open, or at the most but partially enclosed. 

The canes applied to the above purposes are generally cut when they 
are from fifty to a hundred feet in length, and prepared for use by being 



24 • A CRUISE IN A WHALE BOAT. 

cut in two, longitudinally, and pressed flat ; then cut into the requisite 
lengths, they constitute the principal part of the materials used for building 
both in town and country. 

Wishing to procure a good supply of water the next morning, in antici- 
pation of our departure, we were disappointed on learning the scarcity which 
existed. We learned that owing to the unusual heat and length of the preced- 
ing dry season, all the small streams and springs had been almost entirely 
dried up, and were not yet replenished by the small amount of rain which had 
so far fallen. Consequently, the inhabitants of the village we were in, liv- 
ing in an unusually dry part of the counrty, were entirely dependent for 
good water upon the rain which they could collect. This, so far, had been 
so small an amount, that they could provide us with merely what we con- 
sumed while among them. Therefore, early in the morning after our ar- 
rival, we set off to a small pond some two or three miles distant, accompa- 
nied by guides, and taking with us our boat kegs to fill. On arriving at the 
spot we found but very little water in the centre of the bed of the pond, 
which was now almost entirely exposed ; the bottom being a soft clay, 
which was frequently disturbed by the numerous jackasses which resorted 
there for drink, as we could see by the innumerable footprints around, the 
water was very foul and clayey, besides being covered with a thick green 
scum which we were obliged to disperse. 

This disgusting liquid we were obliged to collect or die of thirst, and 
after filling our kegs we returned to the village, where we concluded to stay 
until the ensuing day, a conclusion which was partly induced by the agree- 
able manner in which we could pass the time. 




The night wore slowly away to those on watch until two or three o'clock in the morning, when we were suddenly 
startled and aroused by the loud cry of " all hands, man the boat ! pull for your lives !" Instantly all oars were in 
the water, and the boat under weigh, with Albert, whose watch it was, pale as a ghost and bareheaded, his long hair 
strearaing in the wind. — See Page 19. 



CHAPTER IV. 

The Party AiTested and Taken Inland — The Cheese — Disinterestedness^ — Boat Leaves the 
Village — Humble a Puppy — A Voyage by Night — Another Village — The Meeting — Jolly 
Times — Ridiculous Costume — Put to Sea Again — Uncertainties — Wanderings on the Coast 
— Fine Scenery — Alligators — Their Habits — Dangers — Fishing Population — A Bonky — 
Barter Trades — Balsas or Catamarans. 

But our anticipated enjoyments were suddenly interrupted about noon by 
two or three armed and mounted officials from a town ten or twelve miles 
inland, to which information of our airival had been conveyed. They were 
accompanied by about a dozen attendants, mounted on jackasses, and 
brought an order requiring us to return with them immediately, and give an 
account of ourselves. We thought it best to comply, and leave having been 
obtained for one, the writer, to remain and look after our goods and chat- 
tels, the men prepared to depart ; but perceiving that they were expected 
to walk the whole distance they absolutely refused to stir a step until ani- 
mals were provided for them. Finding them resolute, some of the attend- 
ants were dismounted, and all started off upon donkeys, commencing their 
departure with the most outrageous noises and antics, riding stern foremost, 
and steering by the animals' tails, etc., to the huge amazement and delight 
of the natives who crowded around. 

Desirous of avoiding interruption in our journey, and on that account to 
propitiate the alcalde before whom they were summoned, it had been pro- 
posed and resolved upon to make him a present of our cheese, which was 
still almost entire, and weighing nearly twenty-five pounds. This we were 
induced to do by discovering that American cheese was universally consi- 
dered a very great luxury and highly prized ; in fact, there is no cheese 
made in the country which at all resembles it, but whether this is o\ving to 
natural causes or ignorance we cannot say. 

After the men had been absent some four or five hours, a petty officer 
and three attendants arrived with an order to the writer, directing the boat 
and all our property to be brought round by water to a certain village, some 
fifteen miles distant in a direct line, but twice the distance by water. 

This order of course we prepared to obey, though reluctantly, to the 
great regret of our hospitable entertainers, and with the less pleasure on 
our part, because we could not tell from the wording of the order whether 
it boded us ill or good, while we were very much irritated by the insolent 
and consequential deportment of the official, whom we afterwards humbled, 
as will be seen. However, as darkness was rapidly approaching, and the 
rising clouds indicated rain, we used all possible haste in loading the boat, 
and preparing for our departure. But wishing before leaving to testify our 



28 A CRUISE IN A WHALE BOAT. 

gratitude for the generous hospitality which had been shown us by our kind 
entertainers, we in as delicate a manner as possible pressed our host and 
one or two others to accept of some articles, such as fancy clothing, etc., 
which we knew they highly prized. To our surprise they good naturedly, 
but firmly, refused to take even the smallest article, and we were obliged to 
content ourselves with thanking them in the warmest terms for their disin- 
terested kindness, which gave such evidence of their nobleness of character. 
The pain which we felt at parting, however, was somewhat alleviated by the 
tender farewell we took of a certain fair damsel who secretly accepted a 
souvenir or two. , 

At length, amid the good wishes of all we shoved off, and commenced 
our journey. The party was five in number, three cholas (a common term 
applied to the laboring classes,) the petty officer, and ourself, thereby leav- 
ing four of us to pull while the other took the helm. Of course a proper 
sense of our own importance as well as comfort inclined us to quickly seize 
the latter place of ease and dignity, much to the surprise of the official who 
had intended it for himself, not only to gratify his consequence, but on ac- 
count of his total ignorance of the proper method of handling the long and 
heavy oars of a whale boat. We cut short the argument which he vehe- 
mently commenced, however, by offering to decide the dispute by a contest, 
which should result in one of us being thrown overboard. Considering this 
evil to be the most disagreeable of the two, he reluctantly commenced blis- 
tering his hands by his awkward manner of rowing, greatly to the gratifica- 
tion of his menials who sat behind him, and testified their huge delight by 
grinning immoderately, but in perfect silence. 

Soon the rain began to fall, and telling the miserable being who was in- 
vested with a little authority that he was responsible for everything, and to 
pull away like a man without minding the rain, we made up a comfortable 
nest in the roomy stern of the boat, and after protecting it from the rain by 
the help of the sail, we coiled ourselves up therein, and were soon abstract- 
ed from all terrestrial cares and anxieties. 

Concerning the time which elapsed before daylight we have no recollec- 
tion, but on awaking in the morning about sunrise we were somewhat sur- 
prised to find the boat fastened to a wharf and the natives gone. Hastily 
ascertaining that everything was safe we took a survey of the scene around 
us. The nearest object was an immense inn, the appearance of which re- 
minded us at once of those which have been so often described by travel- 
lers in Spain. Scattered about, and within a short distance, were two or 
three hundred buildings of one, two, and three stories, the appearance of 
which indicated that there was some little business transacted at the place. 
The morning was bright and delightful, and the surrounding groves, which 
contributed to form a very pretty scene, seemed alive with the birds of gay 
plumage that hailed the rising sun with joyous songs. 

People now began to appear, and setting a native in charge of the boat, 
we endeavored to acquire some knowledge of our companions. But find- 
ing that no one had ever heard of them befoi'e, we philosophically concluded 
to await the natural course of events, and occupied our time by looking 



A CRUISE I-N A WKALE BOAT. 29 

about tlie ship yard in front of the village, where there were some fifteen or 
twenty boats of from fiv^e to fifty tons in process of construction. Upon in- 
quiry we learnt that we were at the head of a long and narrow inlet of the 
sea, which was some ten miles distant. We found the ship-carpenters very 
sociable, and willingly accepted an invitation to breakfast, which we fully 
appreciated. 

After breakfast we were gratified by the return of our companions in 
high spirits, and accompanied by a deputation of some twenty or thirty 
persons from the place where they had passed the night. Two or three 
of them were custom-house ofiicers, who after examinino- our ba^sas:©, &.C., 
gave us permission to depart, much to our satisfaction. 

In this examination one of the officers mentioned above, was very 
much captivated by a bright red pair of flannel drawers trimmed with calico, 
and a guernsey frock, which was a tight fitting garment of a white ground 
ornamented with red spots, like the garments of a clown. As he offered a 
liberal price for them and we had no money, we sold them to^ him, wonder- 
ing meanwhile what he wished to do with them in such a climate, it seem- 
ing evident, that clothed in broadcloth as he was, he would not think of 
wearing them himself. What was our amazement, however, to see him after 
a short space, set out on his return, encased in the identical tight fitting 
under garments, and exhibiting in his deportment as much consequence as 
a peacock, which animal indeed he bore some resemblance to in color. 

The men gave a glowing account of the doings while we were separated. 
They had been kindly treated by the Alcalde, who was in extasies upon 
receiving the large cheese that was presented to him, and of which he with 
generous consideration insisted upon returning us a few pounds in addition 
to a present of fruits, bread, &c. In the evening they had been invited to 
an entertainment, which was enlivened by song and dance as well as with 
plenty of aguadiente ; and if they were to be believed, not only themselves 
but their host and his guests were all gloriously excited by the time the 
party broke up. 

After I'eceiving permission we departed immediately, fearing lest some- 
thing might arise on which we should be detained. Finding, too, that water 
was scarce here likewise, on account of the drought, the effects of which 
were as yet but slightly remedied by the rain, we contented ourselves with 
the small quantity of disgusting liquid that we had collected a few days 
before, trusting to our ability to procure some that was better soon. This 
was so thick and clayey that we were obliged to strain it through several 
thicknesses of cloth before it was possible to drink it, and even of this we 
were soon on an allowance of a gill a piece three times a day. 

For the two or three days ensuing, we were oftentimes at a loss which 
way to pull, and strongly felt the need of a compass ; first pulling in one 
direction and then in another, as it was deemed most expedient. We were 
very much embarrassed from the fact of our being in the boat so near the 
surface of the water, and thereby unable to see anything nearly on a level 
with ourselves, except it was within a very few miles of us ; and the coast 
being so full of indentations, we could not tell whether or no we might find 



^Q A CRUISE IN A WHALE BOAT. 

the moutli of Guayaquil river ; consequently we were obliged to pull into 
every apparent opening in the land in order to satisfy ourselves. 

We gained a good knowledge of the coast however, and of the people, 
principally fishermen, who navigated along shore, if there was no other 
good result from our wanderings. We also derived a great deal of pleasure 
from the beauties of the scenery, which we were consequently called upon 
to admire, and which were entirely beyond our feeble powers of description. 
Numberless small islands within a short distance of the shore, a few acres in 
extent, and covered with the most beautiful groves, and luxuriant vegetation, 
contributed to the formation of scenery, far surpassing all our previous con- 
ceptions of the glories of Fairy Land. Life and animation too were fur- 
nished in abundance, by the numberless feathered songsters, which at noon 
and night, filled the air with their cries and melodies, while the eye was 
delighted with their bright and gorgeous plumage. Then, too, the atmos- 
phere was loaded with fragrant perfumes, and when the glassy surface of 
the water was, though rarely, rufSed by the whispering zephyrs, it seemed 
as though, to descend a little, all creation was one vast smelling bottle. 

But, as is generally the case in this miserable world, there were some 
drawbacks on all this loveliness. The shores of the main land, and of those 
islands, which were as so many gems set in the liquid silver which surrounded 
them, were thronged with huge and disgusting alligators of all sizes, below 
twenty or twenty-five feet in length. They actually seemed to rival the 
mosquitoes in number, and to fill the water as they filled the air. What all 
those beasts could possibly find to subsist upon, is more than we can imagine ; 
except we take into account the flies and mosquitoes, of which unwieldy 
as they are, they actually catch and consume great numbers. They do not 
go after them, however, but while lazily basking in the sun, set a trap for 
them by throwing their upper jaw, which is very thin, back upon their 
body, and exposing the whole of their enormous mouth and tongue ; these 
are soon blackened by the myriads of insects which abound, when the wily 
animal suddenly claps his jaws together, and swallows the imprisoned insects. 
The greatest numbers of these alligators may be seen at low tide, when a 
wide strip of mudbank being exposed to the sun, they crawl up in great 
numbers to bask in his rays, meanwhile giving no other indication of life, 
than the aforesaid clapping of their fly-traps, which may be constantly heard 
cracking in all directions where they are abundant. 

And these reptiles were not only disgusting, but absolutely dangerous, 
although we were in a boat ; for it must be remembered that the boards of 
which a whale boat is constructed are but half an inch thick before they 
are planed, and had we while rapidly moving through the water, come in 
contract with the long protruberances of their bodies, we should immediately 
have been stove, and once in the water among them we should have gone 
to heaven in short order. 

Consequently where they abounded, we were not only obliged to go at 
a moderate pace, but also to station one person in the head of the boat, in 
order to pound them on the back with the butt end of an oar, and clear a 
passage ; while at the same time those who were pulling would be contin- 



A CRUISE IN A WHALE BOAT. • 31 

ually hitting the backs of the reptiles with the ends of their oars. Occa- 
sionally, too, they would manifest some curiosity concerning us, by plunging 
into the water and swimming towards us, much to our dissatisfaction, since 
we knew that if only one made a vigorous plunge or two at the boat, the 
attack would certainly destroy it, and as a necessary consequence, we 
should immediately go to that universal receptacle for seamen, " Mr. David 
Jones' Locker." 

While thus cruising about we frequently fell in with many fishermen and 
small traders, mostly sociable and inquisitive, who generally navigate in a 
kind of craft called a " Bonky." These are constructed from a single log, 
which is first hewed into a proper shape and then dug out ; and are of all 
sizes up to eighty or ninety feet in length, and seven or eight feet wide ; 
they are always provided with a single mast and a large square sail. 
About one half of the length of the boat is covered by an arched roof of 
cane work, thatched with palm leaves, which is an effectual protection 
against the rain, and rays of the sun ; thus constituting a very good habitation 
for the family of the fisherman, women and children, who always accompany 
him, it being frequently the only habitation the man is possessed of. 

From these people we used to obtain all our provisions, consisting of 
fish, rice, plantains, etc., which were very good and very cheap. Our 
manner of doing business with them was to go along side, sometimes during 
the day, but regularly at night-fall, and contract with them to cook as much 
as we wished to eat for a specified consideration — perhaps a shirt, pair of 
trowsers, a bucket, a tin pan, or something of the kind, which they gener- 
ally preferred to money. Then at night, pulling into shallow water near 
the shore, we would stick an oar into the muddy bottom, and fastening the 
painter to it, soon lose ourselves in sound and refreshing slumbers, with the 
exception of the one who had the look out. 

There were many charms about our mode of life just then which we 
cannot but recur to with pleasure. The weather was warm and most of 
the time pleasant and agreeable. Our wants were few and generally easily 
supplied, while with a sailor's carelessness we had little anxiety about the 
future. Then, too, we were absolutely free and under no human restraint 
whatever ; we worked or rested just as it suited us ; went where we hked, 
and done as we liked ; while, at almost every step, we saw something new, 
strange, or beautiful, and little adventures were continually occurring. 

We must not forget to describe one kind of craft, which is perhaps the 
most common and useful as well as the simplest of all, being in fact to the 
natives along the whole extent of the coast almost as indispensable as the 
canal to the Arabs in the deserts of Arabia. They are called indiiFer- 
ently a " balsa" or " catamaran," being constructed entirely of logs or trunks 
of trees lashed firmly together; in fact, the simplest of them are nothing but 
mere rafts continually wet by the waves washing over them and about the 
limbs of the bare-legged fishermen or voyagers. Some are no more than 
twelve or fifteen feet in length by eight or ten in breadth, while others are 
constructed of two or three lengths of enormous logs, being one or two hun- 
dred feet in length and fifty or sixty feet wide. Upon the latter kind a 



.32 A CRL'ISE IN A WHALE BOAT. 

Staging or upper deck is generally constructed of from three to six feet high, 
upon which enormous cargoes are stowed, besides allowing room for a 
little house containing one or two rooms for the crew or family to reside in. 
This kind is also principally used for transporting fresh water along the 
coast in long earthen jars, which is a very extensive and important business. 
All sizes are furnished with a sail, generally very large, and it is surprising 
to see with what swiftness, the larger kinds particularly, will move through 
the water under a strong breeze. It is a work of some difficulty though to 
steer them, which is accomplished by using large paddles thrust between 
the logs astern, and which are worked by several men at a time in heavy 
weather, whose cries and shoutings help to make a very animated and ex- 
citing scene. 

The balsas are of course the safest kind of crafts in a heavy sea, or to 
land upon in a heavy surf, as they can be neither sunk or capsized ; the 
principal object at such times is to prevent one from being washed off by 
the waves, which are apt to sweep over them with almost irresistible vio- 
lence. 



CHAPTER V. 

Approach the River — Fright of a Bonky — Plenty of Fresh Water — Guard Boats — Summons- 
Ascend the River— Gloomy Scenes — A Light. — Go Ashore — Mosquito Story — The City in 
Sight — Beautiful Sight — Holiday Crowds— Our Reception — True Statement — Bitter Dis- 
appointment — Arrested — Resistance — Its Results — Irons — Plan for Escape — Commence 
' our Return to the Ship — Row in the Boat. 

At last we drew near to the mouth of the river Guayaquil. Our supply 
of water having given out the day before, we endeavored to relieve our 
tormenting thirst, which was excited by rowing under a burning sun, by 
occasionally rinsing our parched mouths with salt water, and in so doing 
perceived, that, as we advanced, the water about us gradually grew 
fresher. Although we were not near einough to the mouth of the river to 
ascertain its exact locality, we knew both from this fact, and its discolora- 
tion, that it must be near. Inspired with joy, we pulled away with renewed 
vigor, and seeing a very large Bonky with its enormous sail standing away 
before the wind, at a distance of three or four miles, we pulled towards it, 
in order to gain some information. It was soon evident that the crew of 
the Bonky were somewhat suspicious, and endeaA'^oring to avoid us ; which, 
indeed, was not to be wondered at, considering the unnatural sight we pre- 
sented, resembling, perhaps, a party of land pirates. Their movements of 
course but inclined us to pull the harder, and by the time we were within 
a mile or two, they ran out a couple of long sweeps, upon which they pulled 
lustily. Thinking it a good opportunity for a joke, we sent our boat skim- 
ming along like a bird, and rapidly nearing the craft, set up a most outrar- 
geous yelling, screeching, and whooping ; this completed their terror, men, 
women and children screaming, groaning, and calling upon " todos santas," 
(all saints) they resigned themselves to their fate ; contented with the suc- 
cess of our joke, upon coming along-side, we merely asked the necessary 
questions, to which, evidently much relieved, they replied with the most 
officious kindness, and exchanging adios, we kept on our way. 

It was a little past noon when we entered the mouth of this noble river, 
which is here two or three miles wide, and scarcely less than one, at any 
point before reaching the city, about twenty, miles distant. After the scar- 
city of water, which we had so long experienced, we could not but highly 
estimate that which was now so abundant, and of which we imbibed enough 
during the afternoon, to make up for all lost time. After enjoying a repose 
of an hour or two, upon a green and shady spot by the river's side, we resum- 
ed our oars, hoping that we might be able to reach the city, without stopping 
elsewhere. 

During the voyage up the river, we discovered, what was previously 
3 



34 A CRUISE IN A WHALE BOAT. 

Unknown to us, that two guarda castas, or small schooners, armed and 
equipped, were stationed in the river, whose business it was to look out for 
the interests of the city, so as to guard against smugglers, give notice of the 
approach of' enemies, &;c. During the afternoon, we passed one of these 
vessels, which was anchored on the opposite side of the river, and signalled 
for us to approach her; but not wishing any detention, we took no other 
notice of her, than to pull a little harder, and were soon out of sight. The 
next one we also saw soon after sunset, by which we were likewise signalled 
to approach, we endeavored to play the same game as before, but it would 
not do. Seeing that we paid no attention to them, or, were trying to escape, 
a long canoe, full of men, shot quickly away from her, and towards our- 
selves. Perceiving the bright barrels of their muskets, and the swiftness 
of the canoe, we concluded to put a bold face upon the matter, and pulled 
lustily for the guard boat, though not without many misgivings. Upon 
arriving, we answered all questions promptly, stating that we were bound 
direct for the city, and offering our baggage for inspection. After a short 
conversation, and a slight search had been made of the boat, we, to our 
great joy, were permitted to depart, and departing immediately with the 
current in our favor, we made rapid progress towards our destination. 

As night approached, the sky was gradually obscured by heavy clouds, 
and we were surrouded by a gloomy darkness ; nothing was to be seen but 
the black wall of woods on either hand, or, did anything break the silence 
of the night, but the murmurings of the breeze, or the voice of the wild 
beasts in the surrounding forests, and the gurgling of the eddying stream ; 
no lights were any where visible, and our discomforts were increased by 
a drizzling rain. 

Midnight was now near at hand, and contrary to our expectations, the 
city was not yet in sight. The current too had now turned against us, and 
made it difficult for us, as we were by this time somewhat exhausted, to do 
much more than hold our own. While in this uncomfortable position and 
state of perplexity, we espied a light glittering through the foliage upon the 
river's bank ; although uncertain as to the character of the place whence it 
proceeded, we pulled towards and hailed, hoping to meet with accommoda- 
tions, where we might repose during the night, and so proceed to the city 
by daylight. On our approaching, the light was instantly extinguished, 
but while hesitating as to what course to pursue, a voice hailed us in return, 
and after some explanation, we made our boat fast to a balsa, which was 
anchored near, and went ashore. 

We found a house of moderate dimensions, built in the elevated manner 
we have heretofore described, the occupants of which were a man and his 
wife, both somewhat advanced in life, and very poor. He had a few plan.- 
tains, however, from which we made a light supper, and then took our 
positions for the night ; but not to sleep, spite of our great fatigue. We 
had come very near being murdered by insects several times before, but 
our experience this time surpassed all others ; not one of us slept a wink 
during the night. A thick blanket which we made use of, notwithstanding 
the heat, was very little protection, and was quickly pierced in all directions, 



A CRUISE IN A WHALE BOAT. 35 

with their poisonous bills. And we found no difficulty in believing the state- 
ment of our host, that within a few rods of the house, a man having been 
stripped by some villians, and tied to a tree, was a corpse before sunrise ; 
killed by mosquitoes. Indeed we very much feared that all of us would 
meet with the same fate. 

The next day was Sunday, and soon after sunrise we got under weigh, 
having been told that the city was only five or six miles distant ; the tide 
was running out very swiftly, however, and we made but slow headway. 
About nine o'clock, after rounding a long and narrow point, the beautiful 
city of Guayaquil was suddenly disclosed to our view. The city extends 
from the base of some lofty hills about two miles along the banks of the 
river; along the whole distance is constructed a wharf about twenty feet in 
height, beyond which is a magnificent public promenade of the same length, 
of about one hundred and fifty feet in width. This is bordered by the 
finest buildings in the city, many of which are lofty and magnificent, and 
universally painted a dazzling white. Sunday being the national holiday, 
the sti-eet was thronged from one end to the other by thousands of the popu 
lation in gaily colored dresses, presenting at once a brilliant and animated 
scene. Delighted with the aspect of the city where we hoped to terminate 
our wanderings, we pulled rapidly through the shipping which was anchored 
abreast of the town, and having gained the wharf and made fast the boat, 
we ascended to the street with mingled feelings of pleasure, curiosity, and 
anxiety. 

Such a singular arrival had attracted the attention of many during our 
approach, and immediately upon our landing we were surrounded by a 
large and inquiring crowd, who loudly expressed their admiration at our 
hardihood, when we told them the distance we had travelled ; and their as- 
tonishment was greatly increased by the appearance of our old and leaky: 
boat, which, indeed, not having been painted within a year or two, looked 
much worse than she really was. 

It may not be amiss here to state that a great deal of discussion had 
previously been carried on in the boat as to what statement it was best to 
make to the authorities on our arrival, in order to favorably account for 
our appearance in such a manner. Almost every one thought that a more 
advantageous report could be made by drawing upon our imagination for 
facts than by telling the real truth, and therefore many plausible stories had 
been fabricated and their merits discussed. These were all finally rejected, 
however, on account of the earnest arguments and remonstrances of one of 
the party, who succeeded in convincing the rest that the best and safest po- 
licy would be to tell the honest truth, which plan, in addition to many 
other good and obvious reasons, would at least prevent our being suspected 
of having done, or being willing to do, anything worse than we really had 
performed. 

And the justice of this reasoning was made evident when we were vi- 
sited by the captain of the port while yet standing upon the wharf; for, in 
fact, it exactly corresponded with information concerning us which had 
been received in the city some days previous. Of this we were uncon- 



36 A CRUISE IN A WHALE BOAT, 

scious, however, but could not help perceiving that he was evidently satis- 
fied with our statement ; and we were greatly pleased when he told us in 
the kindest manner that we were at liberty to follow our own inclinations, 
provided, of course, that we did not offend against any of the municipal 
laws. 

But the gratification which this reception created was suddenly dissi- 
pated by the arrival of the American consul, who declared that a person in 
pursuit of us had arrived in the city several days before, and that we must 
be immediately sent back to the ship in his custody. The good captain of 
the port interposed in our favor, but the consul declaring that the duties of 
his ofhce did not permit him to exercise any discretion in the matter, we 
were forthwith transferred to a naval schooner lying in the stream to await 
our return. 

This turn in our affairs was not only unexpected but decidedly disagree- 
able, and entertaining a very particular dislike to the idea of taking another 
cruise in the old ship, we began to consider the possibility of avoiding the 
apparent possibility of doing so. Upon inquiry we learned that our cap- 
tain had offered a reward of three hundred dollars for our arrest and trans- 
portation to the ship ; this amount had induced a rascally American, whom 
we shall call Allen, to go direct to Guayaquil, furnished with the necessary 
documents to the consul, in the expectation of finding us there and thus ob- 
taining the reward. Therefore, after considerable discussion, and fiinding 
that those in authority would not condescend to argue with us upon the ex- 
istence of a legal right to "send us back to Tombez, we could think of no 
better course than to resist as far as possible any attempt to do so. 

Accordingly, when the knave Allen visited us on the ensuing day, pro- 
fessing the best of feelings towards ourselves, and stating himself to be 
merely an agent for the consul, while.he endeavored to demonstrate the ne- 
cessity of our returning with him that very evening, we stated to him in 
very plain and emphatic terms the estimate we had formed of his character 
and the determination we had come to. Finding that we would not listen 
to argument at that time he went ashore again, but returned in the after- 
noon, bringing an order from the consul to the captain of the schooner, in 
whose custody we were, for our delivery, and also two whale boats, one of 
which was our old one, ready loaded with provisions, etc., for our departure. 
All this we treated with ridicule, and cut short his remarks by declaring that 
if he did not leave instanter we would throw him overboard, accompanying 
this assertion at the same time by assuring him of certain calamities which 
would inevitably befall him if he took any further steps in the matter. Ac- 
cordingly, he quickly departed for the second time, and soon after we for- 
got all our anxieties and cares in sleep. 

Others, however, were not disposed to take things so philosophically as 
ourselves, and about twelve o'clock at night, we were aroused from our 
slumbers, and ordered to the deck. Upon making our appearance there, 
we had the pleasure of seeing Allen again, accompanied by a file of soldiers, 
and a blacksmith with an assortment of irons, which were evidently intended 
as ornaments for our hands and feet. He hypocritically assured us that the 



A CRUISE IN A WHALE BOAT. 37 

Consul was extremely angry at our conduct, and notwithstanding his pro- 
testations on our behalf, had ordered these extreme measures. Of course 
we were obliged to submit to the orders of the Consul, but the wrath of 
some of us was unbounded, and displayed itself to a certain extent in pre- 
dicting certain awful pains and penalties, which would inevitably be visited 
upon the head of Allen, at the first convenient opportunity. 

The rascal, although having the reputation of a reckless desperado, 
was evidently intimidated by the prospect of undertaking the journey he 
contemplated, with half a dozen desperate men, and therefore he endeavored 
to appease their indignation, by every argument that he could use, with 
which to exculpate himself, and throw the blame upon the Consul ; repre- 
senting himself as being merely the agent of others, and entertaining the 
greatest good feeling towards us, which he had displayed by making such lib- 
eral provision for our comfort during the voyage ; and he farther endeavored 
to impress us with a good opinion of himself, by interceding with the ac- 
companying officer to omit putting handcuffs upon us, which was granted. 
Finally, as sailors are not disposed to harbor enmities when no coercion is 
used, we rather sullenly concluded to make the best of the affair, and start 
on good terms. 

Although we had done nothing that we were ashamed of, it was not 
without a certain degree of mortification, that we contemplated the black- 
smith, while he was riveting the heavy irons upon our ancles. They were 
put on in such a manner as to confine two of us together, by the right and 
left foot of either ; and were extremely heavy, being about an inch and a 
half in diameter, besides being well put on. Still they had not been on 
more than a few moments, before the men were amusing themselves by 
practicing various antics upon deck to test the degree of agility it was 
possible for them to display, and discussing the most practicable method of 
swimming, while thus closely united, in case we should get overboard. All 
things at length having been arranged, we prepared to embark ; not, how- 
ever, before we had suddenly concerted a plan by which we might rid our- 
selves of our irons, and which in fact we successfully carried out before 
sun-rise. The credit of suggesting this idea, must be given to Clifford, who 
also provided for the future by appropriating a battle-axe, which we shall 
have occasion to speak of hereafter. 

Two boats were provided for ourselves and escort, one of which was 
our own, and the other was the one in which Allen had come to Guayaquil. 
These boats during the trip, were fastened together by a long tow-line, and 
at the time of our departure, Lawrence and Clifford were placed in the 
foremost, and the other two pair of us put into the opposite ends of the one 
astern, in which were also two oarsmen and a sentinel. Allen, by the way, 
was accompanied by five stout natives armed to the teeth with knives and 
cutlasses, who answered the double purpose of a guard and a crew to pull 
the boat, a service in which we positively refused to participate, consider- 
ing our dislike to the direction we were taking. 

The night was cloudy and dark when we started, with a fresh breeze 
dead ahead, although the swiftly flowing current of the river was in our favor. 



38 A CRUISE IN A WHALE BOAT, • 

Our guard had irritated us very much by their insolent and overbearing 
treatment, while superintending our departure from the Schooner, and we 
had not taken any notice of it, on account of the number who were standing 
around. But after losing sight of the Schooner in the darkness of the night, 
an insolent expression called out all our smothered rage, which was mani- 
fested by a simultaneous rising, accompanied by such a volley of growls, and 
a rattling of our irons, that all their bravery suddenly vanished, and bran- 
dishing their cutlasses and chattering like so many monkeys, they put them- 
selves at the greatest possible distance from us. After Allen had with 
some Httle difficulty quieted the commotion, we relapsed into quiet again, 
but the guard afterwards treated us with the greatest respect, and even 
evinced considerable agitation whenever we made any stir, or changed our 
position. 



CHAPTER VI. 

Saw off our Irons at Night — Dismay of the Guard — Beautiful Scenery — Stop at Puna — ^Plan 
for Liberty — The Attack — Free Again — Treatment of our Guard — Allen's Pitiful Story — 
His Duplicity — Generosity of the Men — Future Plans — Scarcity of Provisions — Pleasant 
Stopping Place — Singular Appearances — Absence of the Inhabitants. 

The night being dark, and the river pretty rough, everything favored our 
designs. Covering ourselves up with our coats, and apparently composing 
ourselves to sleep, we prepared to execute our plan for relieving ourselves 
from the irons. In anticipation of this we had, just as we were leaving the 
schooner, carefully secreted our knives about our persons, and commenced 
operations by striking the blades together, and by thus nicking them made 
of each a small saw. With these we commenced sawing off the heads of 
the large bolts that coupled us together, and after some hours of cautious 
and tedious labor accomplished the work without having been perceived. 
Therefore, as soon as daylight appeared, Clifford's announcement of his suc- 
cess was but the signal for a like avowal from all, accompanied by a gene- 
ral rising and throwing overboard the shackles which had fettered us ; while 
with joyful hurrahs we congratulated each other on our liberty. 

The Spaniards were horrified, and exhibited much trepidation at perceiv- 
ing such a number of desperadoes, as they evidently considered us, at li- 
berty. Allen too was evidently much chagrined, but he endeavored to conceal 
his real feelings, and make the best of the matter by laughing heartily, and 
declaring that having from the first strenuously opposed the imposition of the 
irons, he was glad we were free from them, accompanying his remarks by 
generously placing at our disposal four or five gallons of excellent spirits, 
which he had previously asserted belonged to some one else. We had no 
idea of indulging too freely when so much depended upon our prudent ac- 
tion, and therefore drank but sparingly ; at the same time we refrained from 
making any hostile demonstration on account of proximity to the guard 
boats in the river, and some other obvious reasons. 

As was generally the case the clouds disappeared with the shades of 
night, and the day was ushered in with a bright calm and glorious morning, 
giving us an opportunity of appreciating the loveliness of the surrounding 
country which we had passed through a short time before, while wrapt in 
gloomy darkness. Calmly gliding along the bosom of the noble river, we 
atoned for the fatigues of the past night by enjoying in luxurious indolence 
the new views and scenes continually brought before us by the moving 
landscape, while our senses were regaled by the refreshing fragrance of the 
morning air and the joyous melodies of innumerable songsters in the woods 
around. 



40 A CRUISE IN A WHALE BOAT. 

Aided by the rapid current it was not yet noon when we arrived at the 
mouth of the river, and came in sight of the beautiful island of Puna, where 
Allen told us he intended to stop a short time in order to procure a supply 
of bread, etc. We soon arrived at a small village, and not feeling ourselves 
under much restraint indulged ourselves without ceremony ia a short stroll, 
while Allen and the guard who had not gone to the baker's, remained in the 
boats. 

Here, after a little discussion, we came to the determination not to re- 
turn to the ship under any circumstances ; and to obviate the necessity of 
doing so we concluded it was necessary to make a regular capture of Allen 
and his men. This we accordingly resolved upon doing at all hazards, and 
after hastily arranging our plan of action, and agreeing to stand by each 
other without flinching, we went on board as though we had no thought of 
anything but to return to the ship. We knew that Allen kept a formidable 
pair of horse pistols at hand, and that the natives were well armed with 
knives and cutlasses, while we were possessed of no other weapons than two 
or three small knives, the boarding-axe of Clifford's, and the heavy bolts be- 
longing to the irons we had thrown overboard. Each one, however, had 
some kind of a weapon, and being equal in number to our antagonists, who 
were evidently, with the exception of Allen, afraid of us, we had no doubt 
of success. 

Therefore, on entering the boat, we distributed ourselves in the manner 
we had agreed upon, but with such apparent carelessness, that no suspicions 
were excited, and awaited the appointed signal. 

Happily we accomplished our design without bloodshed, which was 
partly owing to our resolve to give Allen a chance to surrender before seri- 
ously injuring any one. After the boats had been under weigh about an 
hour, and we had lost sight of the village, Sherman and Albert sprang upon 
Allen, which was a signal for the rest of us to seize the natives, who, with- 
out any suspicion of immediate danger, were pulling at their oars. Allen, 
desperado as he was, at first struggled fiercely with his assailants, but per- 
ceiving that his men, overcome with terror, were imploring mercy, and that 
he had to deal with persons not disposed to trifle, and determined to have 
their own way, he reluctantly consented to our demand for an unconditional 
surrender of himself, boat, and everything in it. 

After having thus got complete control of every thing and every body, 
we at once told Allen that our only object in what we had just done, hav- 
ing been to regain our liberty, and avoid returning to a ship we detested, we 
had no wish to profit farther by his defeat, and that therefore his boat, men 
and property were at his command, provided he would agree not to molest 
us any farther. Willingly accepting this condition, he warmly thanked us 
for what, unaccustomed as he was himself to act from principles of justice, 
he was pleased to call our generosity ; and at the same time offered to give 
us any information concerning the coast, which would be of service to us, 
as from his thorough acquaintance with it, he was able to do. 

Consultation was then held as to what course it was best pursue, as there 
was no other city within several hundred miles, at which we might have an 



A CRUISE IN A WHALE BOAT. 41 

opportunity of shipping upon such voyages as we wished, and it was 
evidently imprudent to return immediately to Guayaquil, we were somewhat 
at a loss to know how we could best fill up our time, until we could pru- 
dently return to the latter place. While thus engaged, the artful villian, 
deeply skilled as he was in dissimulation, took occasion to lament the un- 
happy condition to which he said he had been reduced by the affair ; 
declaring that having given bonds to the amount of a thousand dollars, as 
security for the faithful performance of his contract to deliver us at Tombez, 
he should have to forfeit the amount. This loss, he also stated, would 
sweep away all the little property he was possessed of, and as a necessary 
consequence his wife and children, whom he regarded more than himself, 
would be plunged into miserable poverty. 

These representations of course warmly excited the sympathy of our 
generous tars, who disliked extremely to pursue a course which would inflict 
so much misery upon others ; at the same time it was impossible to think 
of returning to the ship. While in this state of perplexity, Allen, profiting 
by the sympathy he had excited, appealed to us as men, whether if it were 
possible for us to effect the object we had in view, and at the same time re- 
lieve him from his responsibilities, we would not do so, even at the expense 
of a little time and labor to ourselves. To this the men readily assented, and 
requested to hear his plan, which he unfolded as follows. It was for us to 
keep on our course, and land at Tombez during the night, so that we 
might avoid the ship ; then by showing ourselves to certain individuals who 
were mutual accquaintances, we should thereby furnish proof for Allen to 
the effect, that he had fulfilled his contract to deliver us at Tombez. After 
having done this, to hastily secure a supply of provisions and water, and 
depart immediately, for which apparent escape Allen would be neither 
responsible or blamed. By this plan we should be where we were when 
we first left the ship, excepting that we should possess a knowledge of the 
direct route to Guayaquil, by which we could return there in two or three 
days if we chose to do so ; at the end of which, or a longer time, we could 
most probably go without being molested, no one being in pursuit of us, 
while the probability would be that the captain tired of waiting, had shipped 
additional hands, and having departed for a cruise of several months, there 
would be no motive on the part of the Consul or any one else for our de- 
tention or arrest. 

To this plan, after a little consultation, our noble tars generously as- 
sented, although it was attended with a great deal of personal risk to our- 
selves. And if Allen's representations concerning the nature of his respon- 
sibilities, may appear shallow and incredible in a legal point of view, it should 
be borne in mind that the legislation of the country is proverbially loose and 
uncertain ; also that we had previously relied very strongly upon certain 
legal opinions we had entertained concerning the right of the American 
consul of another republic than that in which we were at the time of our 
desertion, to send us back to the ship, all of which proved of less value than 
the paper upon which we represented them to him. The men might there- 
fore be pardoned for believing what would not have imposed upon persons 
better acquainted with legal matters. 



4g A CRUISE IN A WHALE BOAT. 

It may not be improper to state that we afterwards discovered the 
almost entire falsity of Alien's statement. He had a wife and children, it 
was true, but he cared so little about them, that he had abandoned them 
some months before, and the tale by which he had excited the better sympa- 
thies of our men, was intended merely to decoy us into the clutches of sun- 
dry persons at Torabez. In fact our men suspected as much before they 
got there, but not being positively certain of his treachery, they would 
not break their word, but trusted to their own skill and hardihood to escape 
from any trap he might lure us into. 

What was the cause of the scantiness of the stock of provisions which 
Allen purchased, we cannot say, except, as was highly probable, he lacked 
funds to purchase more ; but certain it is, that after the twelve good appe- 
tites had been satisfied at noon, we were aware that the only antidote for 
hunger in the boat, was a bunch of green plantains, that could not be eaten 
without being previously cooked. Consequently it was determined to stop 
at the first place which gave any signal of the presence of human beings, 
aijd make some provision for the inner man. 

Drawing near to the extremity of the island of Puna some little time after 
noon, we fancied that we perceived buildings visible through the trees sur- 
iKDunding a pretty little cove, which was almost laud locked. This, together 
with the beauty of the spot, tempted us to pull towards the shore, and 
having entered the cove, we were agreeably surprised at seeing some three 
or four large and small constructed houses, built as is customary in the 
country, about ten or twelve feet from the surface of the ground. After 
securing the boats to the shore and leaving them in charge of the natives, 
we proceeded towards the buildings, which were a few hundred yards from 
the beach ; but to our amazement not a human being was visible in any 
direction, nor was any sounds to be heard but nature's busy hum. We en- 
tered two or three ; they were well furnished with hammocks and various 
other common articles, but still nobody was to be seen, and we were just 
coming to the conclusion that all the inhabitants, had for some inexplicable 
reason vamosed, when one of our party discovered the head of a human be- 
ing, who was suspiciously examining us from a small aperture in an adjoining 
house. Perceiving that he was noticed, he came down to meet us, and 
after exchanging salutations, though not in a very cordial manner, as he was 
evidently ill at ease, he invited us tO his house. 

We were not much prepossessed in his favor by his personal appearance, 
as he had one of the most villainous countenances we ever saw, while the 
handle of a dirk under his vest, and the outlines of pistols visible through his 
garments, rather seemed to indicate that his business, whatever it was, dif- 
fered somewhat from honest industry. 

But our appetites did not allow of any very extensive observations, 
before making inquiries about certain articles of diet ; he disappointed us, 
however, by stating that he was entirely out of provisions, and was pos- 
sessed of but a few quarts of water, and we were therefore obliged to con- 
tent ourselves with our bunch of plantains, which were soon roasted. 

After satisfying our hunger, we were at leisure to take a survey of the 



A CRUISE IN A WHALE BOAT. 43 

house which was occupied by the only person we saw ; it was built in a 
very superior manner, being divided into three apartments, one about twen- 
ty by thirty feet, and two smaller ones each about fifteen feet square, while 
as is customary on account of the climate, one side of the house was almost 
entirely open. Several large and luxurious hammocks were suspended from 
the walls, and books and various other articles, both of necessity and sim- 
ple luxury, were scattered about. Two or three superior swords, also, 
hanging up in one of the smaller apartments, did not escape our observation, 
as well as a musket, and three or four large knives that were inserted in the 
light cane work of the walls af the apartments. 



CHAPTER VII. 

No Women, etc. — Land Pirates — New Arrival — Fighting — Peril of Allen — Another Assault 
— Punish the Assailants — Depart — Pass the Night in the Boat — Laud at El Morto — Sea 
Fowl — Quantities of Eggs — Preparations for a Delicious Meal — A Slight Disappointment — 
Tender GuU — Leave for Tombez — Allen's Treachery — Night Perils — Allen's Rascality and 
Departure — Land at Tombez. 

Jn addition to the curiosity which the aspect of the building and the ab- 
sence of their tenants excited, we were still more surprised by not seeing 
any females or any articles which indicated they were ever present. Our 
curiosity however was destined to remain unsatisfied, as we soon discovered 
that it was utterly useless to seek information from the only individual we 
saw, his manners being reserved and somewhat haughty, as well as irritable, 
which last peculiarity displayed itself in a rather too vehement expostula- 
tion with the men whom he thought, and perhaps justly, were most too in- 
quisitive. Not wishing to quarrel with him, however, we replied in a pa- 
cific manner, and his anger gradually subsided. 

Meanwhile, and during the remainder of our stay, we could not help 
observing the long and anxious glances that he occasionally cast along the 
coast, perhaps in momentary expectation of the individuals who evidently 
inhabited or resorted to the buildings about us, and whom from sundry ap- 
pearances we thought it possible might be a party of land pirates, although 
that description of people are now nearly, if not quite, exterminated. Con- 
fiding in our numbers and arms, however', we felt no solicitude, and seduced 
by the beauties and comforts of the place, we came to the conclusion that 
it was a much pleasanter place in which to pass the night than the boat, 
and a fine opportunity to repose from the discomforts and fatigues which 
we had lately endured. 

Accordingly, without making any preparations for our departure, each 
one selected a location and position best suited for the indulgence of his in- 
dolent feelings. Some preferred a hammock, while others luxuriated upon 
the green and fragrant verdure shaded by waving palms. Still one or two 
more reclining upon a couch of dried plantain leaves, strewed near the side 
of the house open to the ocean, enjoyed the whispering zephyrs which oc- 
casionally ruffled the glossy surface of the deep, while they beguiled the 
passing hour with reminiscences of home and former happiness. 

We were aroused ere long, however, from our repose, by the arrival of 
a couple of Cholas in a canoe, evidently just returned from a fishing ex- 
cursion, in which they had collected quite a large quantity of shell-fish. 
They seemed to entertain great respect for the Spaniard, who quickly and 
privately interrogated them, seemingly about some other persons. How- 



A CRUISE IN A WHALE BOAT. 45 

ever, we found them very good natured fellows, and offering to purchase 
their fish they immediately placed them at our disposal, and assisted in 
cooking them by the fire. Such generous hospitality we of course felt 
bound to recompense, and finding that nothing was more acceptable to 
them than the contents of our two demijohns, they were forthwith brought 
up to the house, and after our acceptable repast, imbibed with much gusto, 
especially by the Cholas, and also the Spaniards, who had declined eating 
with us. 

Our men, however, drank with moderation, and again began to make 
preparations for the night, but the Spaniard and his servants meanwhile in- 
dulged without restraint, and before long became exceedingly quarrelsome. 
Little notice was taken of them, however ; but v/hile most of us had gone 
down to the boat for a short space, they, without any provocation, rushed 
upon Lawrence and Clifford, who were lying upon the floor of the house, J^ 
the Spaniard with a drawn sword, and the Cholas with long knives, compel- 
ling them to retreat into the open air. This they were fortunately able to 
do without receiving any injury, and at the same time inflict a few sound 
blows upon their assailants by the aid of a couple of sticks which were for- 
tunately at hand. Next to a pistol a stout club is most dreaded by the na- 
tives generally ; they will engage an antagonist single handed, who is armed 
only with a knife, in the, use of which they are very expert ; but half a 
dozen or more may be kept at hay by the aid of a stick. 

This unprovoked assault very naturally provoked our men to a high 
degree, and they were also alarmed by recollecting that Allen still remained 
asleep in the house, and at the mercy of the savage inmates. Hastily arm- 
ing ourselves, we instantly proceeded to his rescue, but while doing so were 
agreeably surprised at seeing him hastily leap from a window, at some dis- 
tance from the ground, and uninjured. A consultation was then held, as to 
what should be done with the aggressors, who were now, reckless with 
excitement, loudly heaping abusive epithets and execrations upon us. 
Some were for inflicting summary chastisement upon them, and one or two 
hot-headed fellows, were for applying fire to the house, but these hasty pro- 
positions were overruled by the cool ones of the party, who reflected that 
such a course might involve us in difficulties hereafter, and of these we could 
already expect enough. 

Therefore, we cojicluded the wisest course to pursue, would be to 
abandon our idea of staying all night in such a suspicious locality, and 
leave at once. So collecting the few articles of ours which were lying 
about, without taking any farther notice of our wrathful assailants ; who 
perceiving this movement, insanely thought it an evidence of fear, although 
we outnumbered them four to one, and redoubled their revilings, of which 
we took not the least notice. But just as the party were leaving, the writer 
returned to obtain drink from the water jar, not dreaming that the rascals 
would dare to descend from the story above. While drinking, however, 
the Spaniard lightly descended, unperceived, and as we were turning to 
depart, he treacherously aimed a tremendous blow at our back, with his 
naked sword. Fortunately perceiving the weapon, however, while raised 



^ A CRUISE IN A WHALE BOAT. 

in the air, we managed to evade the blow so far as to prevent its taking 
effect, only upon the nether part of the pantaloons, in which it caused an 
awful rent, after which the coward hastily retreated to the top of the stair- 
case, as our companions, with a cry of rage, came to our rescue. This was 
an outrage that could not be passed over, and a grand rush was made up 
the stair-case. Frightened at such a determined attack, they made but a 
slight resistance, and we gained a bloodless victory, capturing at the same 
time the two cholas, who were soon brought to their senses by a whole- 
some beating, the deserved severity of which, however, was tempered by 
the remembrance of their former hospitality. The Spaniard, meanwhile, 
had retreated to a smaller apartment, the door of which he barricaded, and 
declaring that he had but one life to lose, and sooner than surrender, he 
would sell it as dearly as possible. Again, prudential considerations pre- 
^ vented our proceeding to extremities, and as darkness was rapidly approach- 
ing, we hastily embarked, and kept on our course during the night towards 
El Morto. 

We met this individual several months after, in the streets of Guayaquil, 
richly dressed ; an expression of diabolical malignity writhed about his pale 
features, as he caught our contemptuous glance, but he dared take no other 
notice of us. 

During the night we slowly progressed towards El Morto. For a 
wonder there was no rain, and leaving the labor of rowing, as the wind was 
ahead, to Allen's crew, we stowed ourselves comfortably away in the old 
. boat, which from our long residence in it, by night and day, began to seem 
very like an old homestead ; the only drawback on our careless happiness, 
was a tormenting thirst, which was owing both to the salt fish we had con- 
sumed, and brandy, which was the only substitute we had for water. 

Morning dawned at last, and during the early part of the day, the time 
hung rather heavily on our hands, being, as we were, under a burning sun, 
without provisions or water. But by two or three o'clock we had arrived 
at El Morto, where we hoped to obtain some supplies, and putting all our 
baggage, &;c., into one boat, which we left afloat under the charge of the 
natives, we effected a landing through the heavy surf, upon the narrow strip 
of sand beach at the east of the lofty rocks which compose the greater part 
of the Island. On the highest part of these is erected a light-house, some 
two or three miles from our landing, and hither we despatched a committee 
of two, to purchase provisions if they could be obtained. 

This seemed to be our only chance of obtaining any thing wherewith to 
satisfy our hunger and thirst, as nothing was to be seen but sand and rocks. 
There were a great many seafowl, however, about the Island, and observ- 
ing them flying to and from the top of the overhanging rocks, we concludeo 
to attempt to ascend their precipitous sides ; this, after some toil, we at last 
accomplished, and were well repaid for our trouble by the extensive view 
alone, of the surrounding country, which they afforded. The air was per- 
fectly clear, and besides old ocean's boundless expanse, Puna was visible, 
and that part of the main land between us and the Andes, whose lofty 
peaks seemed to pierce the sky ; but to some of us at least, the sight which 



A CRUISE IN A WHALE BOAT. 47, 

the top of the rocks presented was still more interesting ; we were surprised 
at finding ourselves upon an elevated plain, affording sustenance to a rough and 
stunted growth of thorn bushes, and seemingly alive with every kind of sea 
fowl, from the tiny diver no larger than a Mother Gary's chicken, to the 
large and clumsy pelican, some six or seven feet in length. Though not 
very successful in our attempts to capture any of them., we were well pleased 
at observing the great number of eggs in their nests, -Vvhich we plundered, 
notwithstanding the fierce clamor which the lawful proprietors kept up, 
within a few feet of our heads. 

Having loaded ourselves with as many as we could carry, and a large 
gull which had got entangled in the bushes, we descended to the beach, 
well pleased with our success. Here we met our two companions, accom- 
panied by the light house keeper, who, not having yet received his regular 
supplies, could not furnish us with any thing except an iron pot, in which 
to cook our eggs. Anticipating a delicious meal from these, however, we 
cared but little about it, and hastily building a large fire, our eggs were soon 
boiling in salt water. Meanwhile we amused ourselves, by recalling to 
mind the delightful flavor of the omelettes, poached eggs, soft boiled eggs 
and hard boiled eggs, that we used to relish in ancient times, and in order to 
suit those who preferred eggs soft, on the present occasion, some were taken 
out before the rest, and the whole being placed in two dishes, or rather piles, 
we ranged ourselves around them, a la Turque, in the sand, and eagerly 
commenced our repast. 

But our tempting visions of epicurean fehcity were suddenly dissipated, 
when we came to taste the whited — not sepulchres exactly — but something 
that smelt hke them ; there was no disguising the fact that they would not boil 
hard, and had a most disgustingly rank fishy smell and taste, which inclined us 
to prefer starvation, to the use of any such remedy for it. Our only resource 
then was the gull, which was broiling upon the cinders ; though the trouble of 
cutting him open while raw, prevented our cherishing any but extremely 
moderate opinions of his delicacy. But even these passed away when we 
attempted to devour that small portion of him, which from a slight degree of 
flexibility could not properly be called bones ; such muscles we never had 
conceived of before, for compared to them a rope's end would be a delicacy. 
We therefore refrained from hazarding our teeth upon the venerable patri- 
arch, and carefully laid him one side as something to fall back upon, after 
h9.ving consumed the painter of our boat. 

Darkness was now near at hand, and wishing to get clear of the long 
reefs which extended in almost every direction from the island, we hastened 
to depart. Our motions were somewhat quickened too, by our recollec- 
tions of the perils we had so miraculously escaped on a former night. But 
more important than all, this was the night in which we contemplated arriv- 
ing at Tombez, when we were to carry into effect the scheme which had 
been concocted and agreed upon in order to relieve Allen from certain dis- 
agreeable contingencies, which he falsely declared would result from our 
unceremonious manner of obtaining our liberty. Our men had been in- 
duced to pursue this course so fraught with dangers to themselves, by their 



48 A CRUISE IN A WHALE BOAT. 

generous desire to save individuals whom they had never seen, and who 
were the relations of a man we had detested, from poverty and distress ; 
and we had the satisfaction soon after of knowing that Allen's statement 
and appeal to our better feelings, was only a detestable piece of treachery, 
calculated to decoy us into captivity, and thereby enable him to obtain the 
reward of three hundred dollars, which had been offered for us. 

As we have before said, it had been agreed that we should arrive during 
the night at Tombez, and leave immediatly after. This, however, would 
not favor the designs of Allen, who endeavored to delay our arrival until 
daylight by steering out of the direct course. This he accomplished the 
easier on account of the almost impenetrable darkness of the stormy night, 
which prevented our observing land, and from the fact that he directed the 
course of the boats, which we were almost obliged to confide to him, because 
he was the only one acquainted with the direct route. 

The night wore gradually away, and the light upon El Morto still 
kept in sight, much to the dissatisfaction of the men, who began to suspect 
that Allen was purposely delaying our progress. Soon after midnight, too, 
breakers were heard in the distance, though they could not be seen on ac- 
count of the darkness, which confirmed their suspicions, but which Allen 
lamely accounted for by attributing our present position to strong currents, 
etc., and at the same time altered the course of the boat to get clear of the 
rocks which were evidently near at hand. Still their roar continually grew 
more distinct, which showed that a strong current was actually sweeping us 
into a dangerous locality in spite of the exertions of the natives and Allen, 
who was assisting and urginor his men while he was somewhat disturbed 
himself. Under these circumstances we pulled up the boat astern, in which 
the men were stowed away, and urged them to take their oars in self-de- 
fence; mortified, however, at being thus tricked by Allen, while they were 
unable to help themselves on account of the ignorance of our locality, they 
had indulged freely in ardent spirits, and were just drunk enough to be per- 
fectly insensible to fear ; and in reply to our persuasions, they doggedly re- 
fused to stir hand or foot, even if they were all swept into eternity, or, as 
they phrased it, " went to hell" the next moment. In despair, therefore, 
we hastily returned to the other boat, the crew of which, confused by fear, 
were momentarily pulling more irregularly, and of course ineffectually. In 
a few moments after the bow oarsman, and the largest man in the boat, ac- 
tually dropped his oar, and fell to crying lustily upon all the saints in the 
calendar for protection. 

Enraged to the highest degree by his pusillanimity and that of the rest, 
at such a critical time, v/e seized the battle-axe which was near at hand, 
and dashing him into the bottom of the boat by the hair of his head, threat- 
ened him with instant death if he uttered another syllable. Then taking 
his place, we pulled with all strength, at the same time threatening to dash 
out the brains of the first man who missed stroke or refused to exert his ut- 
most strength. Such a demonstration brought the cowards to their senses, 
and after an hour of the hardest work we ever done before, we had the satis- 
faction of having escaped the impending dangers. 



A CRiriST: IN A WHALE ffOAr. 49 

Towards daybreak the clouds began to disappear before the rising sun, 
though giving promise of a windy day, and the morning dawned clear and 
bright, discovering Tombez some ten or twelve miles distant. There was 
but one ship lying at anchor which resembled, and we thought probably 
was, the oi\e we had left two 'or three weeks before ; this disinclined us to 
proceed further, but having been without water and provisions for two or 
three days, it was considered imprudent to risk commencing another voyage 
when there was no probability of our being able to procure supphes within 
two or three hundred miles. Therefore, the men determined to risk a land- 
ing, resolving, nevertheless, that if appearances should indicate anything 
particularly unfavorable to ourselves, that they would take summary ven- 
geance upon Allen for his treachery. 

While thus- slowly approaching the shore we perceived a small native 
schooner standing across our bows from the land, and after hailing, we 
pulled towards them for the sake of acquiring information. Greatly tO' our 
satisfaction they informed us that the ship- in sight was a stranger to us, and 
that our ship had left the day before for a distant port to procure additional 
men, the captain having left word that he should return in a week or two 
in order to hear from us. This news of course mortified Allen, who was 
bitterly chagrined at finding that all his trouble and rascality for the last 
three weeks was fruitless. It happened, moreover, that the officers of the 
craft we were alongside of were old acquaintances of Allen, and being 
bound upon a pearling excursion, invited him to accompany them. 

This offer was readily accepted by the shiftless fellow, who forthwith 
embarked, after requesting us to take his boat ashore where it belonged, and 
without making the slightest provision for the men he had hired in Guaya- 
quil for the trip to Tombez. 

Happy, therefore, in this seemingly favorable turn in our affairs, we 
gaily resumed our old places in the boat, and pulled for the shore, mean- 
while promising ourselves a short repose on shore with our old boarding- 
house keeper, and an abundant supply of provisions and water on our de- 
parture. 



CHAPTER VIII. 

Land at Tombez — Awful Disappointment — Flight — Wreck — Press of Sail — Great Speed — 
Reach Puna — Watch " on Deck " — Desertion of Clifford — His Baggage — Famished Con- 
dition — A Sail — Hospitahty — Another Flight and Escape — A Night in the Boat — Consulta- 
tion — Future Plans — Village of Puua — Oysters. 

Rejoicing therefore in the prospect of luxuriating upon the various 
varieties of fish, flesh, and flow], we had formerly discussed in the same 
locality, we jumped ashore outside the bar, and hastily crossing the narrow- 
point of land which separates the river from the ocean, came in sight of the 
little village we had left a few weeks before. Every thing wore the same 
appearance as formerly, even to our old boarding-house, with its careless, 
jolly landlord lolling in the doorway, who hastend to obey our summons 
for a boat in which to cross the stream, and whose approach we awaited in 
silence, overpowered by feelings such as can be induced only by a two 
days fast, under a burning sun, with so many tempting luxuries in prospect. 

He came, but in reply to our greetings, interminged with provisional 
inquiries, hastily told us that owing to the standing reward our Captain had 
left for us until his return, we were on dangerous ground, and likely to be 
arrested as soon as discovered by the ofiicials. And in fact, at that very 
moment, to our horror, we beheld the glittering arms of a squad of soldiers, 
through the foliage of a grove, a quarter of a mile distant, as they were 
approaching in order to take us into custody. 

Instantly perceiving that there was no more time for deliberation than 
there was need of, we exchanged one glance of agonised dismay, and cast- 
ing a long fond look towards the kids and chickens on the opposite bank 
of the river, we rushed headlong to the boat, meditating by the way, upon 
the uncertainty of all human calculations, and the folly of looking to the 
things of this world for happiness. 

Fortunately for us, the wind had by this time increased almost to a 
gale, so hastily shoving off, we hoisted our enormous sail and were soon 
flying over the crested waves with a racer's speed. We had got scarcely 
a mile from the beach, before our pursuers had crossed the river and came 
in sight, only to find that their pray had escaped, and see us waving our 
hats in derision as they vented their impotent rage in a harmless volley. 

Seeing them prepare to start in pursuit of us, however, by launching a 
boat, we got every thing ready in good earnest for a race, though without 
much apprehension of being overtaken. We had only just lost sight of them 
around a long point of land, some five miles distant, when to our surprise 
and dismay, away went our mast and sail with a crash into the water. 
Having no time to lose, and dreading lest at each moment our pursuers 



A CRUISE IN A WHALE BOAT. Q| 

should appear, we hastily pulled the dripping sail and mast into the boat, 
and prepared to remedy the accident as quickly as possible. We found the 
mast uninjured, but the stout thwart of hickory wood through which it passed 
before being inserted in the " step" at the bottom of the boat, was so badly- 
split as to be rendered useless. There was no other way then, than to cut 
a hole for the mast in the thwart next astern, which we at last accom- 
plished, although we had to do it with our knives. 

This time, before starting, we guarded against another like accident, hy 
making a couple of braces from the top of the mast to the windward side 
of the boat, with a part of our long and stout painter ; then giving our sail 
to the wind again, we were soon dashing through the high and furious waves, 
which covered us with their spray. Thinking, however, that by judiciously 
ballasting the boat, our old craft might carry a little more sail, we stretched 
the remainder of our rope from the top of the mast to the end of an oar, 
which we ran out forward, and by the aid of a large blanket, made an 
enormous jib. Then taking such positions as would best serve to bal- 
last the boat, and holding the sails so that they could be let go at the 
least increase in the stiff and steady breeze, we forgot hunger and thirst 
for a while in the excitejuent of the scene, as the boat literally flew before 
the gale. 

We had left Tombez about noon, and until several hours after sunset, 
kept nearly a straight course, with scarcely any variation in our previous 
speed, and without seeing anything of our' pursuers in the meantime. 
During the afternoon we came very near El Morto, or " Dead Man's 
Island," but knowing that we could obtain nothing there, except the kind of 
eggs we have previously described, we passed it, and kept on towards Puna ; 
contrary to our expectation, the wind did not abate any at sunset, and the 
stars appeared bright and clear, enabling us to keep our course without any 
difficulty ; our old boat behaved nobly, although the carrying of such a 
terrible press of sail strained her very much, keeping one person constantly 
baling, and by ten at night we had actually made the nearest extremity of 
the Island of .Puna, which is at least one hundred and sixty miles from. 
Tombez. Not having seen our pursuers by this time, and knowing that if 
they had followed us they were a long distance behind, and could not find 
us during the night, we put into a pretty little harbor, and prepared to pass 
the night in the boat. Then thrusting our long steering oar into the soft 
bottom of the cove, at a short distance from the shore, we " set the watch," 
and were soon in the arms of Morpheus. 

It happened to be our first " watch upon deck," and we abandoned 
ourself to reflections, which we had but seldom indulged in amid the con- 
stant excitement of the last few weeks, and which were favored by the 
quiet beauty of the surrounding scene. The little sheet of water upon 
which we were floating, and whose glassy surface resembling molten silver, 
contrasted so beautifully with the verdant luxuriance around, was perfectly 
protected by the surrounding hills from the breeze which still roared and 
moaned among the lofty forest. Above, the dark blue vaults of heaven, 
studded with its twinkling orbs, appeared in all the magnificence of tropical 



S^ A CRUISE IN A WflALE BOAT. ^ 

brilliancy, while soaring upwards in the eastern sky, the glorious thooh 
blazed with a refulgent light, whose radiance bathed all things round in 
loveliness, and exercised its usual subduing influence upon the elements. 

And beholding there aloft those constellations, that seemed like friends 
amid surrounding novelties, our thoughts reverted to distant scenes and-'by- 
gone times ; again we lived over the past, and indulged in hopes of future 
happiness. Recurring to later periods we thought of our gay departure 
froni our native land, for a life upon the bounding sea, and our disgust at 
the petty tyranny and revolting coarseness, inseparable from forecastle 
life, contrasting as it does with the grandeur and sublimity ever displayed 
by the moving expanse around. Our contemplated escape from such 
intolerable evils at Fayal, and its postponement to a later period. Then 
the eventful, almost romantic nature of our expedition, for the last few 
weeks, were ample food for thought, and yet more as to whether future 
events would bode us ill or good. Ah ! well it is that from us is withheld 
the power of reading secrets yet hidden in the womb of time ; thereby is 
left us room for hope, whose mild and gentle light serves instead of present 
happiness, to illuminate our clouded minds, and cheer our drooping hearts. 
After thinking of these things, dear reader, we called the watch and went 
to sleep. 

In the haste of our departure, or rather in our description of it, we neg- 
lected to mention the desertion of Clifford, who had insisted upon leaving 
us on some crazy expedition or other that suggested itself after our arrival 
at Tombez, although we endeavored to persuade him to the contrary, know- 
ing that no good, at least, would result to him from it. We were not sorry, 
to part with him, on account of his being exceedingly quarrelsome when in- 
toxicated, which he had been almost continually of late, not having exer- 
cised the least self-control. This quarrelsomeness had created many 
unpleasant feelings in the boat, when otherwise there had been nothing to 
disturb our harmony. There had even been an open row a few days be- 
fore, when the patience of' the men having been exhausted by his outrageous 
conduct, they had found it necessary to prove to him that there was a 
power superior to his, and to which, after a desperate struggle, he was 
obliged to submit. During this fracas, which was caused by his commenc- 
ing to stave and sink the boat we were in, he made a hole in its side with 
the sharp point of his boarding-axe, and this some time after formed an im- 
portant link in the chain of circumstantial evidence which was gravely ad- 
duced against us in support of a charge of murder ! We parted good friends, 
however, and found it impossible to refuse his last request, which he urged 
as a last one, and accordingly gave him the remainder, about half a gallon, 
of our stock of spirits. This, with his battle-axe and knife, constituted the 
whole of his "baggage," when he disappeared in the woods, after-refusing 
all our offers of clothing, etc. We heard of him some time afterwards as 
having just made a daring escape from prison, after a long and close con- 
finement. 

Morning dawned at length with a cloudless sky, a burning sun, and a 
dead calm. This was the third day during which we had eaten scarcely a 



« A CRUISE IN A WHALE BOAr. 53 

maiTthful of anything, and most of the time hard at work. Our weakness 
and exhaustion, therefore, were by no means inconsiderable, somewhat in- 
disposing us to use our oars, which we were compelled to do or starve 
where we.were. Getting under weigh, therefore, we pulled out of the cove 
we were in, and were gladdened by the sight of a small Spanish schooner 
at a distance of some six or eight miles. Thinking that we might gain 
some refreshment on board, and if so, that it was the nearest place where 
we could do so, we shaped our course towards her, and after a weary pull, 
a very weary one, we came along side, and were, to our gratification, most 
hospitably received. She was manned by some half a dozen old salts, na- 
tive ones, and two or three gentlemanly officers, who cordially invited us to 
make fast »our boat, and ascend the deck, which we hastened to do. Then, 
ascertaining our famished and exhausted condition, they immediately gave 
us each a glass of excellent aguadiente and a roll of white bread, and at 
the same time ordered the cook to prepare an ample repast of rice, beef, 
etc., immediately. 

This we soon discussed with a great deal of satisfaction, and afterwards 
much recruited and refreshed, gave our kind entertainers a short history of 
our doings for the last kw weeks. These evidently raised us somewhat in 
their estimation, and drew from them the most enthusiastic expressions 01 
sympathy and congratulation. 

In return, they told us the nature of the trade in which they were en- 
gaged, and their destination, which was some three or four hundred miles 
distant, and we concluded to accompany them thither, after which they 
would take us into their employment. At the same time they assured us 
that if we did not like to accept, or -decide at once upon this proposition, 
we were welcome to remain on board as long as we chose, provided we 
would occupy ourselves meanwhile, after a little repose, in repairing the 
rigging, which needed some knotting and splicing — a duty in which the na- 
tive sailors were somewhat deficient. As we were not desirous of returning 
to Guayaquil immediately, and had not decided how we should spend our 
time before doing so, we accepted these propositions with pleasure. 

A moderate breeze had sprung up soon after coming aboard, which not 
only imparted the desired headway to the ship, but also by its refreshing 
coolness, tempered the heat of the sun, thereby making our reclining 
positions upon the deck particularly agreeable. While thus gliding 
pleasantly along, we had for some time observed the Captain and Mate 
examining with much attention a boat full of men, which had kept on some 
two or three hours the same course as ourselves, and was gradually gaining 
upon us. She had first appeared upon rounding a point of land, in the same 
direction as Tombez, which led us to think that it might be the party which 
had started in pursuit of us the day before, and this suspicion was strength- 
ened by observing, with the aid of a spy-glass, the glittering of arms, which 
were distinctly visible in the boat, now only four or five miles distant. 

Here was another disagreeable turn in our affairs, and as the Captain 
of the schooner disliked the idea of being involved with the govermental 
officials in any way, and we had no desire to be overtaken by a party of 



54 A CRUISE IN A WHALE BOAT. ^ 

armed men, as we inevitably should be by remaining aboard, we thought k 
best to depart as quickly as possible. Therefore, after excepting a small 
amount of provisions, and receiving directions as to the locality of a village 
on Puna, were we might obtain supplies in the morning, we shoved off. 
Having been much refreshed by our repose during the day, we were in 
excellent spirits and condition, and notwithstanding our sail was filled by 
the freshening breeze, we ran out our long oars, and for some time pulled 
like young lions. 

We were then near the outermost extremity of the Island of Puna, 
which is some thirty miles in length, and fifteen from the main land, which 
was therefore about forty miles distant. Keeping close into the land, we 
soon lost sight of our pursuers, and continuing to pull smartly for a few 
hours, saw no more of them. We subsequently concluded that our conjec- 
tures were correct, as to the party who had pursued us, and that after hav- 
ing chased us as far as the Island of Puna, they had given up the pursuit 
in despair, with a still higher opinion of our daring exploits, which had by 
this time gained us quite a reputation between Guayaquil and Tombez. 

We continued along the island, in the direction of the main land, until 
night fall, by which time we were within five or six miles of the village we 
li'ad been directed to, but preferring to visit it by daylight in the morning, 
we concluded to come to anchor in the usual way, by sticking an oar into 
the bottom where the water v/as shallow, and pass the night in the boat, to 
the narrow quarters of which we had by this time become quite accustomed. 

Before going to sleep, however, we held a lengthy consultation as ta 
our future action. As the ship had not yet left the coast for good, we did 
not wish to run the risk of being captured and sent aboard before she had 
done so ; but having finally departed, there would be no objection to our ■ 
boldly presenting ourselves in Guayaquil, whence we might depart in other 
vessels. At the same time it was an object for us to cruise or remain in 
some land of plenty, from which we might procure the means of subsistence. 
Therefore the following plan was adopted, as one that would favor all these 
considerations, provided that nothing unforeseen should happen which we 
might not overcome. It was this ; the mouth of Guayaquil river was twenty- 
five miles distant, and we determined after procuring some supplies at the 
village near at hand, in the morning, to pull for it, and remain near its 
mouth until night should come on. Then under cover of its gloomy shades, 
we would, by keeping the opposite side of the river, pass the armed guard- 
boats which had once interrupted our progress, and finally the city of 
Guayaquil, which was some forty nailes distant. Having accomplished this 
much, we would then penetrate into the interior of the country, and after 
remaining a suitable length of time for our ship to depart from the coast, 
return to the city of Guayaquil, 

This plan it will be perceived, was not deficient in boldness, while it 
afforded ample scope for incident. By it we thought to accomplish all our 
business designs, and at the same time, enjoy the delightful country and 
delicious fruits of the interior of Ecuador, concerning which, the glowing 
accounts we had heard, had excited our curiosity to the highest degree. 



• A CRUISE IN A WHALE BOAT. 55 

And in fact, we carried the affair through, the incidents and results of which 
we will forthwith relate. 

The sun arose the next morning, bright and glorious, and having passed 
a tranquil night, we bestirred ourselves at early dawn. Our ablutions were 
soon performed, and putting every thing in the boat in order, we started for 
the village, where we soon arrived, before half the inhabitants were out 
of their beds or hammocks. It was pleasant and tastily ornamented, and 
shaded with beautiful trees, containing perhaps about a thousand inhabitants, 
who evinced much curiosity at our arrival. Leaving the boat in charge of 
the rest, two or three of us visited the nearest baker's establishment, and after 
procuring a small supply of delicious bread, returned to the boat. But just 
as we were preparing to leave, and were congratulating ourselves upon hav- 
ing met with no interruption, a couple of petty officers arrived from the 
Alcalde of the place, who desired us to present ourselves before him. But 
not fancying a detention, and perceiving that the messengers were few and 
unarmed, we surprised them and the gaping crowd, who stood around, by 
our audacity in politely requesting them to pay a visit to his satanic majesty, 
and at the same time, shoving off without ceremony, on our way to the 
mouth of the Guayaquil river, some fifteen or twenty miles distant. 

We soon began to feel, in our progress, the influence of the rapid cur- 
rent which sets up and down this noble river, at each rise and fall of the 
tide in the Pacific ocean. To one unacquainted with the phenomena of 
tides, the idea of the waters of a river flowing up stream, may seem at firs* 
singular, if not impossible ; but if it is considered that the stream is at a cer- 
tain depth when the tide is low, then if the waters of the ocean rise some 
fifteen or twenty feet at jts mouth, of course there is nothing to prevent the 
briny flood from rushing up the inlet, or channel, formed by the waters of 
the stream, with irresistible impetuosity, thereby filling the banks for a very 
long distance into the interior with salt water, and the accumulated contents 
of the stream^ . Then at the turn of the tide, all this vast body of water 
rushes back to the ocean, with still greater violence than it ascended. 

After pulling until nine or ten o'clock, the tide turned against us, and 
having plenty of time, we concluded not to contend against it ; seeing a 
craft of a few tons burden anchored a short distance from us, for the same 
reason, we pulled along side and made fast. 

To our surprise and gratification, the craft was loaded entirely with large 
and excellent oysters, and we lost no time in making a bargain for quite a 
number of the delicious bivalves, which Florence himself might well envy 
us the possession of. They were not only very large, being nearly all from 
ten to fifteen inches in length, but also very cheap, as we procured them at 
the rate of twenty-four for a medio, or six and a quarter cents. After hav- 
ing satisfied our appetites, we passed our time in indolent repose until — the- 
next chapter. 



CHAPTER IX. 

Enter Guayaquil River — English Barque — Repair the Boat — Hard Night's Work — Alligator 
Dangers — Pass the City Unperceived — Go into the Interior — Night in the Boat — Description 
of Scenery — Fruits — Monkeys — Pigs — Parrots, etc. — Decide to Return — Various Plans — 
Enter the City — Surprise — Put in Irons. 

The tide turned in our favor some time after noon, and resuming our oars, 
we quickly gained the mouth of the river. Perceiving an English barque 
likewise bound up, we hailed her, and readily receiving permission from the 
officer of the deck to go aboard, we were soon engaged in an eager conver- 
sation with the crew, who had but just arrived upon the coast. We relish- 
ed exceedingly, too, some hard biscuit and salt junk which we had former- 
ly been accustomed to, but of late deprived of. But these agreeable occu- 
pations of eating and talking were soon interrupted by a custofn-house 
officer, who was aboard, and having charge of the ship, thought it a fine op- 
portunity to display his consequence. The generous tars, however, as we 
we were leaving the side, insisted upon sharing half their dinner with, us, 
which was just being served up, and exchanging farewells for a time, we 
pulled for the river's bank. 

Selecting an open space, where the grassy banl* gradually sloped to the 
water's edge, we hauled our boat up high and dry for the purpose of repair- 
ing her, as she by this time leaked badly, and kept one person almost con- 
stantly employed in baling. Then turning her oottom upwards, we endea- 
vored to stop the leaks by caulking her with beeswax and larapwick instead 
of pitch and oakum. After tinkering her to our satisfaction, we reposed 
under the shade of the neiffhborins trees until about five o'clock, not wishing 
to progress as far as the guard boats until after dark. Then, after discuss- 
ing, with much pleasure, the provisions we had procured from the English 
barque, we commenced the laborious and never-to-be-forgotten task of the 
night. 

Fortunately for us daylight was succeeded by a^dark and cloudy night. 
We started soon after five o'clock, and favored by the tide, made rapid 
progress for several hours, and succeeded in passing the guard-boats with- 
out being discovered. But some little time before midnight, the tide turned 
against us, and then our work began. ' The current of the river, when it is 
discharging its accumulated waters, also swollen by the immense oody of 
water that has been for some time rushing in from the ocean, rushes out 
with a velocity of not less than seven miles an hour, and, therefore, we 
could not make much actual progress, having already been rowing without 
intermission for the last five or six hours. 

We would gladly have stopped awhile to rest our wearied and aching 



A ceui.se in a whale boat. 57 

iimbs ; but we could not stop the boat without actually landing among the 
dense and almost impenetrable forest which grew close to the water's edge ; 
arid this we considered too dangerous on account of the alligators which 
everywhere abound. For upon being alarmed they always rush instinctively 
to the water ; and it sometimes happens that being thus disturbed in a dark 
night, the unwieldy monsters, blindly rushing to the river, come in contact 
with the boat or canoe, destroying -it, and perhaps endangering the lives of 
the persons who are aboard. Such a risk as this we were unwilling to run, 
not so much on account of the danger of personal injury, as of regard for 
the boat, the loss of which would upset all our plans, and subject us to a 
great deal of trouble and inconvenience. 

There was no other way, therefore, for us to do than to pull without 
intermission, and our almost insupportable fatigue may be easier imagined 
than described. More than one of us actually fell asleep while rowing, 
and we can easier state than explain the fact, that we mostly continued to 
pull in the meantime without ceasing. Indeed the writer, who pulled the 
after oar, and gave the stroke for the rest to follow, had one or two quite 
lengthy dreams before recovering himself, and yet did not miss a single stroke 
either while thus insensible to all around, or upon awaking. 

The night wore slowly and painfully away, and yet but too quickly, 
considering the slow progress we made against the rapid current. Some- 
times in passing a bend in the stream, we would actually pull for ten minutes 
at a time without gaining a foot, and then progress only by almost superhu- 
man exertions. We were tormented too, in the meantime, by our fears lest 
we might not be able to pass the city before daylight, as if we did not we 
should inevitably be arrested and get into difficulty. But at last we came 
in sight of Guayaquil, and just after the clouds had, much to our dissatis- 
faction, cleared away before the rising moon, which was at the full, and 
shone brightly. Nothing could be more beautiful than the calm loveliness 
of the scene, which took in the pure white buildings of the city, the distant 
hills, and the surrounding country, open and beautifully ornamented with 
lofty palms. But we had too much to think of to enjoy this prospect, in 
which there were so many features, fraught with danger to ourselves, and 
creeping along the bank of the river opposite to the city, which was here 
nearly two miles wide, we pulled away as silently as possible, concealed by 
the long shadows of the lofty trees. 

But though we were not perceived, every thing around was distinctly 
visible to us, ev^en to the figures of the watchmen in the city as they paced 
their round, and whose cries came over the water with startling distinctness. 
Wo most of all dreaded the sharp look out vv^hich we knew was kept aboard 
the naval steamer anchored in the stream at a little distance from the city, and 
just as we were opposite to her we heard her strike " six bells," as distinctly 
as if we had been aboard. The sound found an echo in our inmost hearts, 
but we were not discovered, and after being for two hours in sight of the 
city it faded from our view just as the day was breaking in the East. Then, 
almost dead with fatigue, we hastily sought a secluded spot, and abandoned 
ourselves to repose. , 



58 A CRUISE IN A WHALE BOAT. 

We resumed our oars sometime In the afternoon, and after pulling up 
the river for a little while stopped at a country house closely surrounded by 
a plantation of sugar, and endeavored to procure some provisions. But to 
our surprise we were unable to obtain any thing except some enormous 
stalks of sugar cane, which we purchased for less than a penny a piece. 
They were some seven or eight feet in length, and the coarsest kind which 
is generally used for the manufacture of sugar, &c. There are many finer 
kinds however which are consumed in great quantities by the inhabitants 
generally, and are really, when perfectly ripe, very good. 

As night was now at hand, we sought out a quiet and secluded spot 
where we enjoyed a comfortable night's rest, with the constant exception of 
the mosquitoes, which threatened to devour us bodily. 

The succeeding four or five days were passed in pulling up this beauti- 
ful river, or into its numerous tributaries, wherever fancy dictated ; and but 
little occurred to mar the pleasure afforded us by the innumerable beauties 
and luxuries of this fertile country. We were generally hospitably received 
and treated wherever we went ashore, but at some few hamlets, upon our 
refusing to gratify an impertinent curiosity, Stc, attempts were made to 
detain us. None of them succeeded, however, as we were determined to 
preserve our freedom at almost any sacrifice ; but we were more than once 
compelled to beat a hasty retreat to our boat, and sometimes smartly skir 
. mishing by the way, with sticks, stones, he. 

The natural beauties of the country entirely surpass our feeble powers 
of description. Dense forests, and shady groves, composed of every variety 
of trees, from those of enormous size, to the light and graceful palm, con- 
trasted finely with smiling fields, which were profusely ornamented with 
flowers of every hue. All kinds and descriptions of tropical plants and 
fruits, were every where spontaneously produced in the greatest pro- 
fusion. We particularly noticed every variety of peppers growing along 
the banks of the river and little inlets, as plentifully as whortleberries in 
Yankee land. 

These woods and trees, too, were full of life. Parroquets we had long 
ceased to notice, on account of their immense numbers ; but we were con- 
tinually surprised and delighted with the great variety of parrots and macaws, 
both wild and tame. They were of all sizes, some being no larger than a 
pigeon, while others were actually nearly as large as tiirkies. The plumage 
of the latter kind was generally most magnificent and gorgeous, comprising 
all the brightest and most brilliant colors, most fantastically combined upon 
a single bird. They are all very noisy, and some of them very good 
talkers ; are considered by the natives very good food, and large numbers 
of them may always be found in the markets. 

We must not forget to notice the monkeys, whose tricks and antics 
have caused us so many hearty laughs, and of which we saw great numbers, 
both in a wild and a domesticated state. Large troops of them were fre- 
quently seen in the trees along the river banks, gambolling, chattering, and 
gesticulating as we passed by. 

We cannot attempt an enumeration of the innumerable varieties of 



A CRUISE IN A WHALE BOAT. 59 

most delicious furits, that every where abounded in the greatest profusion, 
and of which we obtained liberal quantities for a trifling price, both from 
the shore and passing canoes. Orange trees laden with their golden fruit, 
which was also profusely scattered over the ground, and the juicy and 
delicious cocoa-nut, were the most common kinSs. The latter fruit is eaten 
mostly when green, and in every stage of its formation. The meat is then 
of a consistency but little firmer than cream, and very sweet, while the 
milk is very grateful to the taste, and delicious. Rich plantains, and golden 
colored bananas, whicli we long to taste again, and which are staple articles 
of diet, are as much cheaper as they are more delicious, than turnips or pota- 
toes here. Pine-apples too, are produced and sent to market in extraordinary, 
and almost incredible quantities. Of the excellence of this, as well as 
some other tropical fruits, foreigners who have not tasted them ripe from 
the stem, can have but little idea from the comparatively diminutive and 
tasteless specimens which are picked while green for transportation. 'There 
we found them of a noble size, a foot or more in length, and about the same 
in diameter. The outside of a rich golden color, and almost bursting with 
its bright yellow meat, which showed itself at every crevice in the rind. 
Concerning the price of these, Sec, we shall perhaps speak, when we 
allude to the extensive market in Guayaquil city. 

In this universal abundance we were surprised at seeing so very few 
beef cattle in the country. Very few are used for the labors of the field 
by these indolent people, who mostly live from hand to mouth ; and but 
little meat, compared with the diet of our own country people, is consumed. 
Horses and jackasses, particularly the latter, are used a great deal for busi- 
ness or pleasure, and everywhere abound. Swine are also very numerous, 
perhaps, because they multiply so fast and require so little attention. We 
were much amused one day by observing the manner in which a country 
butcher was cutting up a large pig. The pig was suspended by his hind 
feet in the usual way, under a tree, and operations had been commenced by 
removing the entire skin with the wool on, which was hanging near, and the 
man was then engaged in cutting the flesh from the bones in long strips be- 
fore removing the "innards." As to the rest of his proceedings deponent 
saith not, as we had no time to stop longer. 

In spite of the many charms of our roving life, our unsentimental tars 
got tired of it before a week had passed, and began to long for salt beef and 
pork, a sailor's life, and congenial companions. Therefore, they determined 
one fine morning, to return instanter to Guayaquil, and see what fortune 
had in store for them, hoping for an opportunity to ship and be once more 
upon the open sea. 

We w^ere about a day's journey from the city, towards which we rapidly 
glided, impelled both by strong arms and the rushing stream. Meanwhile, 
an animated discussion as to the best mode of entering the city, and the 
best story to be told after we should arrive there in case we should be in- 
terrogated, was held. Concerning the latter, we soon concluded to tell the 
truth, though not the whole of it. As to the former, there was a greater dif- 
ference of opinion \ the majority at one time fearing lest we might be arrest- 



'60 A CRUISE IN A WHALE BOAT. 

ed for over-powering Allen, etc., thought it best to leave the boat some- 
where in the woods, and entering the city at different points under cover of 
the darkness, mingle with the numerous seamen ashore. But at length, 
after a long and exciting debate, which did not terminate before the city was 
in sight, the arguments and persuasions of one of the company prevailed, 
which was to the effect that we should pursue a bold, manly, and straight- 
forward course, as though we were ashamed of nothing we had done. 

Accordingly, soon after sunset, we pulled in front of the city, and along- 
side of the naval schooner which had formerly been our quarters, and with 
whose crew we were well acquainted. Immediately after going aboard we ' 
sent a message ashore to the captain of the port and the American consul, 
announcing our arrival, and stating that not having found our ship at Tom- 
bez, we had returned in order to have an opportunity of getting a ship, etc. 
Meanwhile, we did ample justice to some provisions that were liberally or- 
dered for us by the officers, and indulged in various speculations concerning 
the future. 

All doubts, however, were soon removed, by an order which was 
received by the Captain of the schooner, to the effect that we should be 
instantly put in irons, and guarded with the utmost vigilance. This was 
certainly disagreeable, as well as unexpected, but there was no help for it, 
and we were all soon firmly attached by our feet to a long and heavy bar 
of iron, which was fastened to the deck. And here we were obliged to 
pass the first night, protected from the heavy rain, which fell more than 
half the time, only by a tattered awning, and to the attacks of the clouds 
of mosquitoes, that came flying over the bows, every time that a floating 
mass of vegetation was impededin its progress by the vessel, and presented 
their bills to us with an insinuating pertinacity, that rivaled the most im- 
portunate of creditors. 

The next day we learnt, somewhat to our surprise, that we had been 
arrested on suspicion of having risen upon and killed or thrown overboard 
Allen and his guard, in whose custody we had previously left for Tombez. 
And, indeed, although not officially apprised of the grounds for our arrest, 
a little reflection brought some pretty strong ones to our minds. We 
remembered that angry threats to the same effect had been hastily made by 
some of the men, previous to our departure with Allen. Then, too, it seemed 
singular that neither he or his men had returned, or, that nothing should 
have been heard of them in so long a time, except from ourselves. CHfford, 
too, (who had left Tombez,) was missing, and the conjectures that there had 
been a contest in which he also had been killed, was somewhat confirmed 
by the appearance of the boat, which showed many marks of violence, and 
one or two holes in the side, that were supposed to have been made by 
balls from Allen's pistols. All this was done, as we have before related, 
by Clifford in his drunken frenzy, but the truths which we told seemed 
stranger than the fictions of the imaginations of other people, and we were 
therefore carefully guarded until additional evidence should be received. 

Here ends the cruise in the Whaleboat, in which we have pulled for 
the last time, and we shall now proceed to relate some of its immediate 
results to ourselves. 



CHAPTER X. 

Description of the Navy of Ecuador — Provisional Allowance — Fleas, Cockroaches, &c. — Their 
Manners and Customs — Voracity — Anecdotes — Bug Tactics of a Man of War — Pilfering — 
Go to the City — Soldiers Barrack's — Black Hole — Horrible Situation — Amusements — 
Removal to the Naval Steamer. 

It may not be amiss here to give a brief description of the large and exten- 
sive naval forces, of the puissant Republic of Ecuador, on all of which 
we were at one time or other confined, and which we shall therefore have 
occasion to refer to. 

The navy of Ecuador consists of two whole vessels, one of which is a 
small steamer, -some ninety or a hundred feet in length. This craft is a 
very respectable one in many respects, from the fact that the boat and 
steam engine are the products of American industry, and she is also com- 
manded by a Yankee captain, with Yankee engineers, firemen and boat- 
swain, she carries a twenty-four brass pounder at each end, and her whole 
complement of officers and men, including captain, lieutenant, midshipmen, 
engineers, firemen, boatswain and crew, may be rated at about twenty-five, 
of whom we shall speak more at length when we come to allude to our 
confinement on board. 

The other vessel is called a schooner, and carries one brass twenty-four 
pounder amidships, which has hardly been fired off within the memory of 
the oldest inhabitant, and it is much to be doubted as to whether it ever 
will be again, from the fact that it is strongly suspected such an explosion 
would cause the immediate dissolution of the whole concern. 

Some idea of the size of the vessel may be formed, from the fact that 
she is daily bailed out with a tin pot. She is hardly, we would think, more 
than thirty or forty feet from stem to stern, with a hold of between four and 
five feet in depth, and is manned by a captain, two heutenants, two mid- 
shipmen, a boatswain, cook, and from two to six apologies for sailors, as 
the case may be. For notwithstanding the liberal wages which are paid, 
and a bounty of a doubloon upon shipping for a year, the navy of Ecuador 
is generally in great want of men, and when they are obtained, more than 
one half of them prove to be diseased wretches, who have shipped in order 
that they may be supported, and sent to the military hospital the next day. 

The customary allowance throughout the Spanish Main for provisions to 
sailors, soldiers, prisoners, &c., is one real, or twelve and a half cents per 
diem, which is amply sufficient, considering the cheapness of almost all 
kinds of food. This amount we were also allowed by the government, and 
the same amount by the American consul, so that as to provisions we fared 
well, four small rolls of bread, and a tin pot full of excellent chocolate in 
the morning, and a soup composed of plantains, .beef, k,c., in the afternoon. 



62 A CRUISE IN A WHALE BOAT. 

But in speaking of our accommodations aboard, we must not forget to 
allude to the annoyances we were subjected to, by the different varieties of 
insects which swarmed about the craft, in incredible numbers. In fact, 
as in most tropical climates, all kinds of vermin everywliere abound. In 
attempting to class the most prominent varieties, we should say that the 
mosquitoes were most numerous, next fleas, then cockroaches, after them 
innumerable curs, which are sometimes said to rival the fleas in number, and 
lastly alligators, to say nothing of all kinds of snakes and innumerable 
intermediate varieties of reptiles. 

The two kinds of creeping ones we were most troubled with, were black 
ants and cockroaches, which infest all old buildings, or old vessels along the 
coast. The ants were visible during the day, and the cockroaches made 
night hideous by their attacks under cover of the darkness ; this division into 
two watches, the men used to declare, was the result of a regular under- 
standing or agreement, in order that each might have plenty of room when 
they went aboard. 

The former kind swarmed in every crack in the vessel, and every 
crevice on the deck might be traced by the black lines of busy insects, 
which were continually running in and out of them during the day. Con- 
sequently, nothing eatable, especially, could be set down any where with- 
out being immediately covered with a crawling swarm, which also prevented 
our reclining upon deck with any comfort, as their rapid crawling upon our 
bodies was any thing but agreeable, to say nothing of occasional bites of flesh, 
with which the cannibals would regale themselves. 

We could not but be amazed at first, to observe how completely the 
denizens of the little craft had become accustomed to the insect ; the black 
cook particularly, who never did more than give any ai'ticle of diet a hasty 
shake, before thrusting it into one of his numerous black pots. The effect 
of this was more perceptible in our chocolate, from the fact that the color 
of the various lumps of sugar which he soused in was undistinguishable 
beneath its sable covering. We gradually became accustomed to them, 
however, and considered it a matter of course to skim off the greater part, at 
least some two or three spoonfuls, from our chocolate, before swallowing 
it ; we wer-e always more or less puzzled though, to extract any of them 
from the soup, as they were so thoroughly interminged with the other 
in^edients. 

But numerous as were the ants, there was still room for innumerable 
cockroaches, which in size at least, surpassed all our previous ideas, as to 
what this description of vermin could attain to. They were from one quar- 
ter of an inch, to some three or four inches in length, and as they advanced 
in life assumed a yellowish-whity-browny-greyish color. As opposed to 
the ants, which stood watch during the day, they crawled over every thing 
and every body at night, particularly our faces, their favorite mode of 
'attacking, which was by dropping upon them from overhead, and thus, not 
unfrequently, awaking us from our slumbers, or else giving rise to hideous 
and agonising dreams of contests with indescribable and fantastic monsters, 
or of torments similar to those inflicted upon ancient martyrs, from which we 



A CRUISE IN A WHALE BOAT. 03 

would awake to the hardly less troublesome realities of fleas and ants 
hopping, crawling, and nipping under our garments, with not a few gigan- 
tic cockroaches dragging their cold bodies slowly over our faces and 
bosoms, and blood thirsty mosquitoes settling upon almost every other 
portion of our skin which was unoccupied. The remembrance of those 
horrible nights, which were for the most part sleepless, makes us even now 
shudder, varied only, as they were, by occasional volleys of curses from the 
men, upon all our persecutors, both human and insectual, if we may coin 
a word. 

Marvelous stories are told of the strength and voracity of these cock- 
roaches. To our personal knowledge, they will penetrate the hardest kinds 
of wood with their fangs, and it is gravely asserted by the natives, that 
experiments having frequently been tried to that effect, they will, if confined 
with a rasor blade, eat off its edge in order to appease their hunger; while 
there are plenty of witnesses to the fact, of three or four of them being able 
to surround and overcome a mouse, and then masticate him upon the spot. 

The only remedy or preventative adopted against these vermin in the 
powerful navy of Ecuador, was one which affords a good illustration of the 
character and business habits of the people generally, and the governmental 
officers in particular. At the regular muster every morning, when the 
whole crew were drawn up in a formidable line of about ten feet in length 
upon deck, every man was required to produce four dead cockroaches, and 
in default of a compliance with this requisition, as many blows were in- 
flicted with a rattan upon the hand as there were bugs wanting to fill up 
the regular number. 

These " bug tactics," in addition to the duty of pulling the officers to 
and from the shore every hour or two, constitutes almost the entire employ- 
ment of the men. The officers spent half their time ashore, and the other 
half lounging in their hammocks under an awning which was stretched over 
the deck of the vessel. To the gallant midshipmen also belonged the duty 
of purchasing the provisions for the schooner every morning from the 
market, thereby giving them an opportunity to eke out their own pay by 
pilfering from the daily sum which was entrusted to their charge for that 
purpose. This, however, was not considered particularly ungentlemanly 
or atrocious by their superiors ; and only when their offence was more glar- 
ing than ordinary, were they punished by being sent up to the mast head, 
whence they might enjoy the opportunity of taking a good view of the sur- 
rounding town and country, and at the same time be a good illustration of 
the national morals and principles under a burning sun. 

From the limited accommodations aboard ^e craft for the regular crew, 
there was of course but little room for us below when we were unconfined, 
and no place large enough for us when attached, as we were every night, 
to a long and single bar, which was therefore fastened to the deck. This 
confinement, which was sufficiently disagreeable, on account of the heat of 
the weather and the clouds of mosquitoes which flew over the bows every 
time a floating mass of vegetable matter in the river was obstructed in its 
progress by the vessel, was rendered absolutely intolerable by the pouriiig 



Q4 A CRUISE IN A WHALE BOAT. 

rain which descended in a perfect deluge the greater part of every night, and 
from which we were protected only by a ragged awning, which was no pro- 
tection at all, so that we were obliged to lie in the little pools of water on 
the deck all night, and drenched to the skin. 

Irritated, therefore, by such treatment, which we felt sure our consul 
was ignorant of, we sent a message to him describing our situation ; and ac- 
cordingly soon heard in reply, that we should be removed from our narrow 
quarters to the city. We therefore obeyed with pleasure the order that we 
received the next day to collect our clothes, etc., and proceed to the shore. 
We were soon on the wharf, and under charge of a corporal's guard pro- 
ceeded to our future place of residence, gazing at the new and unusual 
sights which we met at every step in the city we had so often viewed from 
a distance, but had never traversed before, and speculating by the way as 
to the kind of place we were going to. We were not long in doubt. 
There were some seven thousand troops in the city at the time, and we 
were soon ushered into a guard-room belonging to their numerous barracks : 
and reposing upon two or three guns at one end of the apartment, we took 
an observation of the buildings, etc., within sight, while we awaited direc- 
tions as to our particular destination. 

The barracks we were in were located in the suburbs of the city, and 
built in a quadrangular form, enclosing a court oi* yard about eighty or a 
hundred feet square. The buildings were large and three stories high, ap- 
parently filled with soldiers, and not only rather ancient, but extremely 
dirty. This was partly owing to the rainy season just then at its height, 
which rendered all the unpaved streets almost impassable with mud, and 
the court-yard above named resembled an immense hog-pen more than any- 
thing else. The room we were in at the time we are speaking of was 
about forty by sixty feet, and empty with the exception of two or three rows- 
of muskets, some gun handspikes, etc. There was also a cot in it at night, 
which was occupied by the commanding officer on guard. But what most 
concerned us, there v/as an apartment walled off from one side of the room; 
it was long and narrow, being about eighteen feet by seven, built with an eye 
to strength, and lighted and ventilated only through the heavy gratings of 
the door. Through these we perceived several black, half naked, filthy 
looking wretches, hardly distinguishable from the black darkness behind 
them, v/ho were peering at us, and amusing themselves by their blackguard- 
ism concerning us. 

None of us took any notice of them, however, except Lawrence, who 
heedlessly replied to them, for which he was checked by the men for thus 
demeaning himself and us. But just then the corporal, who had escorted 
us from the wharf came in, and unlocking the door of this '- Black Hole," 
to our consternation and horror, ordered us to go into the vile dungeon. 
At first we could not believe him in earnest, and then assured of the hideous 
reality, would have resisted. But the bayonets of the guard, which were 
quickly levelled at us, admonished us as to the best course to pursue, and we 
despondingly entered the dark and filthy receptacle, from which those 
already inside were not removed upon our arrival ; and the door being 



A CRUISE IN A WHALE BOAT. 63* 

locked upon us, a guard was stationed before it, night and day, for the ten 
days in which we remained. 

We found the room was used as a place of confinement for drunken and 
disorderly soldiers, and to add to our discomfort, five more men were brought 
in at night, making seventeen in all. We shall never forget the horrors of 
that long and weary night. Let it be remembered that the weather out of 
doors was hot and sultry to the last degree, while the almost constant rain 
made every thing damp and sticky ; the room we were in too, was enclosed 
within another, and there being no chance for a draft of air, the only air 
then, which we could get, being what we could inhale through the gratings 
of the door, we came rather nearer suffocation than we cared, while covered 
with perspiration, and attacked by legions of fleas, that were generated by 
the filth of the department, ever minute seemed an hour, and every hour 
a day. 

And here we were confined for ten days, without being allowed to step 
out, except upon occasions of necessity, when we were followed by a soldier 
with a musket. The first night turned out to be the worst, however, as 
there were no more than two or three confined with us at a time afterwards, 
which was owing perhaps to the earnest remonstrances we addressed to 
every officer that passed. We were also allowed on the second day, as a 
particuar favor, the liberty of sweeping out our cell, from which we brushed 
about a couple of bushels of filth, at least, one half of which was vermin, 
principally fleas. These insects of course swarmed in the greatest profusion, 
and in addition to them, we were constantly annoyed by thousands of the 
huge and disgusting cockroaches, which we have before described. 

So that on the whole, we were in really miserable quarters, and in 
removing from the naval schooner to the shore had jumped out of the fry- 
ing pan into the fire. This was not the fault of the American consul, 
whose humanity and generosity towards his countrymen obtains him the 
respect and esteem of all who know him, and which we shall hereafter 
have occasion to allude to. But the fact was, we were confined on an 
alleged crime against the government of the Republic, and, therefore, the 
Consul could only demand that we were well treated before being convicted 
of having done any thing worthy of punishment. 

It was on account of the deeds of daring which we had the reputation 
of having performed, perhaps, that we were given in charge of certain 
poisonous mushrooms, which spring up above the vulgar herd, and are called 
among themselves military officers. These ignorant heathens are generally 
entirely innocent of all noble and generous sentiment, and may be aptly 
compared to a vain dung-hill cock, without its courage. These despicable 
individuals, too, had assured the consul that we should be well treated, upon 
which he relied, while they plunged us into the dungeon aforesaid. 

Considering all these circumstances, therefore, it will readily be believed 
that we had but few sources of amusement. It was impossible, however, 
to keep down the spirits of the men bntirely, and they would occasionally 
break out in1jD a song and chorus that would make the whole building ring 
again, and sometimes feeling that we could be no worse off, they would 



gg A CRUISE IN A WHALE BOAT. 

indulge in the most outrageous howling and whooping, to the consternation 
of the soldiers, and the evident chagrin of the officers, from whom we took 
no pains to conceal our opinion of their self-conceit and real worthlessness. 

Some of the time, too, we had an opportunity of raising our spirits by 
pouring spirits down our throats, thanks to one or two of our sentinels, who 
were clever fellows, and for a small sum brought us, among other kinds of 
fruit, an occasional cocoa-nut, which was ingeniously emptied of its natural 
contents and then filled with aguadiente. 

At the best, however, we were in a horrible place, which was beginning 
to affect our health as well as our spirits. But we had been confined many 
days before we were visited by some countrymen, who came to see us as soon 
as they found out where we were. Shocked, of course, at the situation we 
were in, they immediately made a representation of the matter to the consul, 
who at once took steps for our removal to a more suitable place, and we 
accordingly received with the greatest joy, directions to prepare to leave 
our dark and gloomy cell, and to go aboard the steamer which was lying in 
the stream. We were soon under weigh for our new destination, a descrip- 
tion of which, &c», we will postpone to another chapter. 



CHAPTER XL 

Description of the Steamer — Disturbance — Slow Work — A Chase at Night — Leisnre Time — 
Bathing — Bad Health — Sufferings of Foreigners from Mosquitoes — Want of Sleep — Thunder 
Storms — Night Scenes — Good News— Set at Liberty — First Sensations — American Consul 
— His Liberality — Life Ashore — Description of Guayaquil — Manners and Customs of the 
People, etc. 

Accordingly, we were soon quartered aboard the neat, perfectly clean, 
and well-regolated steamer, which seemed a palace compared to the dungeon 
we had left. Our irons, too, were dispensed with, and we enjoyed exceed- 
ingly the freedom of motion, of which we had been deprived so long a time. 

We were kept in custody aboard this craft for about a fortnight, and in 
the meantime nothing scarcely occurred worthy of particular notice. There 
was but one disturbance or difference of opinion while on board between 
ourselves and the officers, and this referred to our going to work with the 
rest of the hands. To be sure the work, as it was called, was nothing but 
boys' play to us, comparatively speaking, consisting merely of a few hours' 
work of grinding battle-axes, burnishing pikes, washing decks, etc. But 
then, while we were detained against our will, we felt under no moral obli- 
gation to work, and accordingly, absolutely refused to do anything. This 
ended in our being put in irons, with the assurance that we should remain 
there until we would consent to do as we were ordered. 

We lay stretched out on deck, therefore, in that position during the re- 
mainder of the day, and all that night. By that time, however, we began 
to get tired of our close quarters, which did not afford us room enough to' 
fight the mosquitoes to advantage, and we accordingly concluded to act on 
the same principle as the horse who allowed himself to be led to water, but' 
would not drink after he got there. We were, therefore, released on our 
declaring our willingness to do as we were ordered, and commenced again 
the work of brightening up sundry old muskets, axes, pikes, etc., which 
had been sought out for our especial benefit, and from the amount of rust 
on them looked as though they had been originally lost out of Noah's ark, 
and just recovered from the water. Pieces of brick were provided for the 
muskets, and a grindstone for the axes, but hours wore away and still there 
seemed as much iron-rust as ever. The man at the grindstone, which was 
a small one, turned exceedingly slow, and for every five minutes that he 
did so stopped to rest fifteen or twenty, while the person who was seated 
holding the axe upon the stone seemed very much disinclined to waste any 
of his strength, and by sunset had not quite finished the one he began upon 
in the morning. Then, too, the pieces of brick had marvellously little 
effect upon the° muskets, although they were gently rubbed upon them ever^ 



^ A CRUISE IN A WHALE BOAT. 

time an officer came forward. Things went on so for ttie second day also, 
mucii to the chagrin of the petty officers, who fretted about but could not 
help themselves. 

On that evening, however, the crew of the steamer suddenly received 
orders to get under weigh, and go in pursuit of a Chilian craft, which was 
reported to be cruising abbut the mouth of the river with hostile intentions. 
As the steamer was not much more than half manned, our services were ex- 
tremely valuable, and we were assured of the fact when one of the lieuten- 
ants came forward, and declaring his wishes that we should work " with a 
will," and do all we could, hinted that he should be obliged to us for so 
doing, and promised that grog should be furnished ad libitum. 

As the officer happened to be the one we had a preference for, and the 
men were gratified at being treated like men, they eagerly entered into the 
spirit of the chase, and throwing off all superfluous clothing, each strove to 
outdo the other, and performed prodigies of labor which not a little aston- 
ished the native crew and officers. We could not find the craft we were in 
search of, however, and the steamer returned to her moorings soon after 
midnight, after which, fatigued and exhausted, we were soon lost in slumber. 
But we saw no more of the rusty tools we had been at work upon before, 
and for the rest of our time aboard we did less than an hour's work a day. 

During this leisure time we enjoyed bathing in the large paddle wheels 
of the steamier, which having been made fast were motionless, and of course 
a small part of them was in the water. We found this bathing, too, ex- 
tremely beneficial to our health, as owing to the varied nature of our life for 
the last few weeks, at one time exposed, and at another closely confined, 
our blood had become very impure, which caused it to favor the accumula- 
tion of innumerable sores, which formed wherever the skin was broken, as by 
using friction upon mosquito bites, etc. These sores are very common 
among foreigners, and particularly sailors, who use no discretion in rubbing 
the blotches, which are caused by the poisonous bills of the detestable mos- 
quitoes. We trust we shall be pardoned for alluding so often to these in- 
tolerable insects, but we really know of no greater annoyance during the 
rainy season. Luckily, they almost entirely disappear with the rain, and 
for the succeeding nine months of dry weather none of any consequence are 
to be seen. 

But while they do abound, it is not at all unusual for the crews of 
foreign vessels to be rendered almost totally unfit for work, on account of 
the almost absolute impossibility of obtaining any rest at night. Indeed 
we did not actually average two hours sleep per night, all the time we 
were lying in the river. Next to being bitten by them, one receives 
the most forcible impressions of their numbers, by observing the large four* 
story white houses during a thunder storm or shower. The insects then 
seek the first place of shelter from the rain that they can find, and at such 
times, the fronts of these hoYises actually appear almost entirely black, and 
it is considered a matter of course for all the servants in every house to dis- 
lodge the insects by means of brooms, napkins, &;c., immediately after every 
shower. 



A CRUISE IN A WHALE BOAT. Qg 

Some of these thunder storms at night, were exceedingly violent, sur- 
passing any thing of the kind we ever saw in any other part of the world, 
and at the same time presented scenes amid the pitchy darkness of the night, 
of the most startling sublimity and grandeur. We shall not attempt any far- 
ther description of them, than to beg the reader to imagine the scenery for 
miles around, revealed with startling distinctness every moment or two, by the 
dazzling light of the vivid lightning, which streamed over almost every part 
of the heavens at once, while the awful crashing of the thunder would 
frequently, for an hour at a time, resound over head, absolutely without 
interruption. • 

During such times a curious plfbnomena was frequently exhibited by 
the iron work of the steamer. Every piece of iron, from the lofty smoke 
pipes, to the smallest tools about the vessel, would be covered with a 
flame of a bright blue color, if we recollect aright. How it occurred that 
the steamer was never struck by any of the lightning bolts, which fell in 
such profusion around us, we cannot say, but We certainly expected it at times. 

But at last we, in common with many others, were relieved from the 
protracted suspense we had been subjected to, as to the proofs of the crime 
of murder, which, although we were of course innocent, had been preferred 
against us. News was brought to us by some friends, that one of the Span- 
iards who had accompanied us from Tombez, had arrived, and entirely cor- 
roborated our story. A few hours after we were ordered to prepare to leave 
the steamer, and having at length gained the wharf of the city, we were 
told without any preface, that we were free to go where we liked. 

Thus, at last, after so long a time, much of which had been passed 
amid painful privations, we had gained the object we had in view, when 
we left our ship at Tombez. But that seemed a very long time ago, and 
we had so long been harrassed by anxieties and captivity, that we could 
hardly comprehend that we were really free. We had before anticipated 
the exultation we should feel when we acquired our liberty, but now there 
was no boisterous rejoicing, or even any at all. We were certainly not 
displeased with our release, but standing there upon the wharf, we were com- 
pletely at a loss what to do. It seemed as though all connection between 
the past and the present had been dissolved, and we were upon an unknown 
ocean, without pilot or compass. We were in a strange city, surrounded 
by strange faces, destitute of sympathy, and now the bonds which had 
united us for so long a time, amid so many changing scenes, seemed stronger 
than ever, and no one of us entertained any plan which did not include his 
companions. 

While thus deliberating as to what course to pursue, we concluded, as we 
were entirely destitute of money, and ignorant of the city, that we would 
walk up to the Consul's, and state our case, trusting that he^would give us 
both assistance and advice. And we relied the more readily upon his doing 
so, not only on account of his well known liberality, but from the fact that 
he himself had deserted from a whale ship, several years before, and having 
remained in the country, had rapidly risen to his present honorable and 
wealthy position, being then about thirty years of age. 



781) A CRUISE IN A WHALE BOAT. 

He treated us with sternness at first, and severely reprimanded the 
course we had pursued since leaving the ship, while he at the same declared 
that his instructions would not allow of his advancing any money to us from 
the government funds. But he soon relaxed a little, and before the men 
departed, gave eacfh of them money sufficient to defray the expenses of a 
boarding-house for a week, and also advice as to the best course for them 
to pursue. 

In the preceding pages I, the writer, have said little or nothing, con- 
cerning my personal sufferings, arising from the state of my health, which 
was delicate *when I left the ship, and of course was not improved by the 
wanderings, and privations, heretofore ^oken of; and I allude to them now, 
only to make known the reason that induced me to apply to the Consul; 
for a ticket of admission to the military hospital. This he readily granted 
to me, and after parting for a time with my companions, I directed my steps 
to the large and extensive hospital, which is situated in the suburbs of the city. 
And my feelings and reflections, as I painfully toiled along, were not of the 
most agreeable or cheering description, for I knew that just at that period 
of the year, most of the foreigners who were taken sick, departed this life 
with marvelous celerity. 

At last I gained the portal, and having presented my ticket to the 
proper official, I was immediately directed to the appropriate ward. The 
buildings were very large, and contained cots jnd accommodations for 
many hundred persons, but there being so many thousand soldiers in the 
city, at the most sickly season of the year, it was crowded almost to 
suffocation, and the floors of the apartments almost entirely covered with 
mattresses. 

I was accommodated with a cot bed, and being very sick and most 
of the time in great pain, and surrounded entirely by strange and unsym- 
pathising faces, the time passed heavily enough. There was nothing very 
encouraging either, about the scanty medical attendance I was favored with. 
I' was merely looked upon by a very important looking individual, a 
Frenchman who did not condescend to speak to me, for about two seconds 
each day. But I had nothing to complain of as to a want of a sufficient 
quantity of medicine, for I was obliged to imbibe every day about a pint of 
the most awfully bitter liquid that ever was invented to torture a sick man. 

I grew rapidly worse for several days after entering, and one night I 
gave up all for lost, and resigned all expectations of ever seeing Yankee 
land ; but ray time had not yet come, and although the destroying angel 
visited the poor fellow in the cot next to mine, he passed over me, and I 
lived to leave the hospital about two weeks after entering it. I was not 
well though, by any means, but I had become so disgusted with the 
sickening scenes everywhere visible, that death in the open air seemed 
s^lmost preferable to a longer residence in such a place. 

It was late in the afternoon that I left the hospital, and with slow andi 
fpeble steps, shaped my course for the residence of the consul. I could not 
have been more kindly received, and as I would not comply with his advice, 
to return to the place I had just left, he. provided me a boarding-house, and. 



A CRUISE IN A WHALE BOAT. 7J 

paid two weeks board in advance out of his own pocket, at the same time 
directing me to call upon him occasionally and report progress. This 
•liberal and disinterested treatment, I can never cease to remember with all 
the gratitude I am capable of, and should these pages ever be perused by 
him, I trust he will again accept my warmest acknowledgments for hiS; 
kindness. 

But I inwardly determined to make no further application for assistance 
after the fornight he had provided for expired, if work could possibly be 
obtained. Indeed there was not work enough going on among the few 
ships in the river, to employ one half of the sailors who were ashore, and iri, 
want of a ship or employment until they could obtain one. Fortunately fo^\ 
myself, however, I had become slightly acquainted with the Yankee engineers, 
belonging to the naval steamer, who had called upon me in the hospital antjr; 
expressed a warm interest in my welfare. And this one of them, who had 
a short time before established a blacksmith's shop in Guayaquil, demonstrated; 
by inviting me to work in the shop only as much as I was able, and he 
would support me whether I worked or not, until I could obtain a ship. 
Meanwhile, too, I had become acquainted with the master of the shop, who 
boarded in the same house with myself, and warmly seconded the first 
invitation, which I cordially and thankfully accepted. But not the least 
agreeable part of the affair was, that the blacksmith who had come out ia 
the same ship as myself, and left her at the same time, by land had joined 
the shop sometime before, so that I was really among friends. 

Of course I have neither time or space in which to describe minutely 
the life I led for the succeeding six weeks. I soon became initiated into the 
mysteries of blacksmithing, and could handle the heavy sledge in quite a 
workmanlike manner, but there was one annoyance I could not very well 
overcome, and that was the hot scales which occasionally lodged in my old 
shoes, and made me drop the hammer in order to obtain relief. There was, 
also, one thing which the good natured blacksmith himself could not get 
used to, and that was a way I had sometimes of hitting his tongs instead 
of the steel punch they held, with the sledge, thereby causing him many 
aches in his hands. 

Meanwhile, my health gradually improved, and not finding any ship that 
was homeward bound, or that I cared to go aboard of, I made the old 
blacksmith's shop my quarters during the daytime, and lodged in various 
places at night, most frequently, on the score of economy, upon a pile of soft 
lioards in the shop of a cooper with whom I was acquainted. I was not 
able to work more than half the time though, and some days not at all, 
when, from a foolish pride, I endeavored to avoid, if possible, receiving the 
assistance which was most willingly, though irregularly, tendered me, and; 
more than once retired to my downy couch without having eaten anything 
since the previous day. This was something of a contrast to the abun- 
dance and ease I had always enjoyed before commencing a sea-faring life ; 
and my reflections upon my lot were not rendered much more agreeable by 
the fact, that I even then did not lack for abundant means, but could not 
avail myself of them. 



^•2 ' A CRUISE IN A WHALE BOAT. 

As I continued to regain my strength, however, my spirits improved if 
iny circumstances did not, and in company with acquaintances, or in solitary 
strolls, passed many agreeable hours Of course it would be tedious and 
uninteresting to minutely describe the six or seven weeks I passed in Guaya- 
quil, so I will merely give such a -sketch of the city and its inhabitants, 
their manners and customs, etc., as my memory will enable me to do, and 
which I shall dwell on the more minutely, in order to convey a general idea 
of the character and economy of other cities in South An^erica. 

As we have before remarked, Guayaquil presents a beautiful appear- 
ance when viewed in front from the river. It is bounded both above and 
below by noble hills, around the base of which the river disappears, while 
the ground on which it is built is almost perfectly level, being merely a 
small part of a large plain which extends several miles back of 'the city. 
These plains, called pampas, which are often of great extent, are not un- 
frequent in South America, and are generally destitute of every species of 
vegetation, excepting a peculiar kind of grass, which is generally burnt up 
by the intense heat of the sun during the dry season of the year. That in 
the rear of the city was valuable only for pasturing the donkeys which are 
extensively used by the lower classes. 

Guayaquil contains some forty or fifty thousand inhabitants, and, there- 
fore, covers quite a large surface of ground, the more so because the houses 
are generally built with an eye to comfort in so sultry a climate, being large 
and airy, and varying from two to four stories in height. Some of these are 
very handsome structures, being almost invariably built with spacious bal- 
conies at every story, and in a large quadrangular form, enclosing an inner 
court of greater or less extent. The prevailing color, both inside and out, 
is a pure white, which at a little distance contrasts beautifully with the sur- 
rounding country. This effect, too, is heightened by the almost universal 
absence of glass in the windows, particularly in the upper stories, the place 
of which is supplied by curtains of the same color as the house; and so at- 
tentive are the people generally to the external cleanliness of their dwellings, 
that their municipal regulations do not allow of bituminous coal, or any 
other fuel which makes a dense smoke, to be burnt in the city, not even by 
blacksmiths or others whose business might render it necessary. The fuel 
most generally used for all purposes is charcoal, of which large quantities 
are brought in by the country people, and sold at a cheap rate. 

Speaking of fuel, reminds us that chimneys are very rarely, if ever, 
constructed in houses in any part of South America, on the west side at 
least. The natural warmth of the climate at all seasons of the year, of 
course renders a fire, for almost anything besides culinary operations, super- 
fluous, and the small quantity of charcoal necessary for this purpose is gen- 
erally burnt upon a pile of mason work in some room or corner of the 
house. . 



CHAPTER XII. 

Description of Guayaquil — Inhabitants — Complexion — No Prejudice — Trade — Wholesale and 
Retail — Handsome Stores — Mechanic Arts — National Incapacity — Stupid Preferences — 
Saw Mills — Immigration of Mechanics, &c., Encouraged — Inducements — Enterpising 
Yankee — Roman Catholic Religion — Immorality of the Priests of that Spiritual Religion — 
Indolence and Improvidence — Two Meals a Day — The Siesta — Amusements — Refresh- 
ments — Wines, &c. — Bull Fight — Music — Dislike of Foreigners — Reason for It — Jackasses 
— Vehicles — My Own Experience. 

The inhabitants of Guayaquil are mostly natives of the country, there being 
a smaller number of foreigners in proportion to its population, than in the 
other large cities upon the coast. 

The complexion of the people embraces every shade between the pure 
white, of unmixed Castilian blood, and the dark bronze, or coal black skin 
of the original population, before the country was discovered and settled by 
the Spaniards. 

That part of the population which is of unmixed Spanish blood, and 
which of course, is mostly comprised in the '' aristocracy," naturally pride 
themselves upon their descent, but still there is not much if any prejudice 
on account of color among the people, and a man generally I'anks accord- 
ing to his natural abilities and talents. In the army many of the superior 
officers are coal-black, and a greater number resemble mulattoes in their 
complexion, but this does not prevent their associating upon equal terms, 
either in their official capacity, or at social assemblies. 

Thei'e is quite a large foreign and domestic trade carried on at Guayaquil. 
A large extent of the surrounding country is supplied with all descriptions 
of foreign goods from the city, and immense quantities of the productions of 
the country are also exported. One very prominent article of the latter, is 
chocolate, which I particularly remember as having caused me many a 
back-ache, while handling the heavy bags from morning until night. 

Nearly, if not all, of the wholesale part of this trade is carried on by 
foreigners, mostly English and American. The natives of the country, 
generally, do not seem to have sufficient capacity or knowlege to carry on 
any kind of business, excepting upon the most simple and limited scale. 
They monopolise almost all of the petty retail business of the city, and are 
generally contented with a small stock of goods in a very small space. Some 
of the foreigners though, have a retail as well as a wholesale department to 
their establishment, and their stores often present a very large and rich 
assortment of goods. There is one block of buildings particularly, in the upper 
part of the city, which is built after a Yankee fashion, and contains twelve 
large and spacious stores, all of which are occupied by Americans. Walking 
along by these sometimes, and seeing dry goods, &,c., exposed in great pro- 



74 A CRUISE IN A WHALE BOAT. 

fusion at the windows and entrances, as in New- York, I could almost forget 
that I was still an unwilling resident in a foreign land. 

But the most striking evidence of the national incapacity which we 
alluded to above, is furnished by the state of the mechanic arts. Almost 
all articles, whether intended for use or ornament, are manufactured in a 
very rude and simple manner, by the aid of the most rude and simple instru- 
ments. The tools and furniture of a native blacksmith, cooper, or capenter's 
shop is of the most clumsy, rude, and ridiculous description imaginable, and 
the numerous workmen employed, generally accomplish no more or better 
work, than would so many Yankee boys ten years of age. 

But in the manufacture of articles that can be made by hand, especially 
hats and hammocks, a great deal of taste and skill is displayed. Of the 
former, great quantities of the cheaper kind are made and exported, and are 
well known as Panama hats. Some are made of exceeding fineness, and 
it is nothing uncommon in the city to see hats offered for sale, the price of • 
which is forty dollars, or even more. 

'The various kinds of hammocks which are so universally used, demand 
a particular notice. They are generally made of a kind of straw or vegeta- 
ble fibres, we are not certain which, worked into a pliable, very yielding, 
and at the same time, durable net-work. These adapt themselves as it were, 
to every position of the body, and for comfort and luxury they are unsurpassed' 
by any other contrivance for easily reposing in the world. They are made 
of all sizes, from five to twenty or more feet in length, holding one or more 
persons, and are often dyed with very beautiful colors. I have not a very 
distinct remembrance of the price of these articles, but I believe that a very 
good one of eight or ten feet in length, may be bought for two or three 
dollars. 

Singularly enough, many of the common ignorant people, especially 
those in the country, prefer to use the clumsy articles of native manufacture, 
to the more valuable and useful ones imported or made by foreign mechanics. 
Very iew, for instance, will prefer a serviceable Peekskill plough to the 
wooden crotch whicli has from time immemorial been used for rooting up 
the surface of the soil. And till within three or four years, all the lumber 
used in the country was sawed entirely by hand ; indeed the greater part of 
ail which is used at the present day, throughout the entire country of South 
America, is manufactured in the same laborious manner. This of course, 
causes it to command an enormous price, and every imaginable substitute 
to be used in its place, such as split canes, &ic. ; therefore, the construction 
of sawmills, wherever they have been erected, has always proved a very 
good speculation, and would be found equally sure and profitable in many 
places yet open to enterprising individuals. 

But by the more intelligent classes, the value and importance of the pro- 
ductions of American and English ingenuity and mechanical skill, is daily 
more sensibly felt and acknowledged, and therefore every encouragement. 
is held out by them, both in their private and official capacities, for the 
immigration of good mechanics, the introduction of tools and machinery^ 
and the dissemination of scientific knowledge. On this account, the most 



'"T CllUISE IN A WHALE BOAT. 75 

flattering inducements exist in many cities, upon the western coast, for me- 
chanics to seek employment there. Good workmen are always in demand, 
and such, whether blacksmiths, carpenters, or coopers, can readily obtain 
from two to four dollars per day, while their necessary expenses are very 
light ; but little clothing, and that mostly cotton, being required, and the 
best of board obtainable for two or three dollars per week. I do not by 
these remarks, hold out any false inducements, as I was extensively ac- 
quainted with that class of people, and particularly remember a couple of 
blacksmiths, each about twenty-one years of age, from my own native State, 
who obtained permanent situations, either in Callao or Valparaiso, 1 forget 
which, where their wages were four dollars per day. There are indeed many 
mechanics upon the western coast of South America, but unfortunately, 
ninety-nine out of a hundred of them are addicted to habits of dissipation, 
and spend their wages as fast as they earn them. Therefore a sober man^ 
who could gain the confidence and respect of the people, among whom he 
located, would possess advantages over all others. 

At the time of which we are speaking, there were about half a dozen 
blacksmiths', carpenters' and coopers' shops in Guayaquil, all well patronisedj 
and very profitable. The only thing almost, in the shape of machinery, was 
a saw-mill worked by Jackasses, beside one which was being erected by an 
American, to be worked with steam power. The latter individual, who was 
a ship carpenter by trade, and at the same time possessed of business talent, 
and temperate habits, first came to Guayaquil, about three and a half years 
previous to our arrival, and being possessed of nothing but his tool chest, 
was so poor as to be obliged to borrow money to pay for his first weeks^ 
board. At the time we saw him, he was driving a heavy business, princi- 
pally in ship building, and was estimated to be worth, at least, one hundred 
thousand dollars. 

The prevailing religion of the country, is the Roman Catholic, which 
here as every where else, is powerful in proportion to the ignorance of its' 
superstitious devotees. I shall of course, leave the discussion of the 
merits or demerits of this phase of heathenism, to theologians of other de- 
nominations, and therefore only briefly notice this part of my subject. The 
ghostly Fathers, of course, have great influence in the affairs of state, 
and one result is equally annoying and glaring, especially to foreigners. 
I allude to the compulsory observance of all the fast or feast days of the 
church, by a complete abstinence from all kinds of employment, under pen- 
alty of a heavy fine. As there are some one or two hundred such days in 
the year, such laws are a great hindrance to all people who are industriously 
disposed, but unfortunately these constitute but a small part of the people, 
and they but too well accord with the national indolence of character. 

Little credit is reflected upon the Catholic Religion, by the moral qual- 
ities of its devotees and priests. Of the latter particularly, the least that is 
said, the better it is for their reputation. Being prohibited from marrying, 
they are notorious libertines, and almost universally employ young and pretty 
house keepers. Neither do they hesitate to join in any common amuse- 
ment, and are particularly fond of cockfighting. This they, as is the general 



JQ A CRUISE IN A WHALE BOAT. 

custom, indulge in particularly on Sundays, when they may be seen in 
great numbers, as soon as " High Mass " is over, with the tails of their 
gowns under one arm, actively engaged with their favorite birds. 

Although nominally republicans, the distinction between the lower and 
upper, or poor and rich classes, is much more strongly defined than in these 
United States, and nearly or quite all the authority of the state, is centered 
in the hands of the aristocracy. 

One of the most prominent features of the national character; is indo- 
lence, and this is most strongly exhibited by the lower or poorer classes. 
As a general thing they have but little anxiety about the future, and are 
content to live from hand to mouth, and work only enough to provide for 
their present necessities. And this indolence is, in fact, if not owing to it, 
at least encouraged by the great abundance and cheapness of various arti- 
cles of diet at all seasons of the year. A stout laborer can often earn in 
Guayaquil from one half to a dollar and a half per diem, which latter price 
is frequently paid by ships lying at anchor, and at the same time, buy plan- 
tains enough to subsist upon for a whole week, for about twelve and a half 
cents. As one goes farther south, however, wages are much lower, and in 
Chili, stouter and better men never demand more than three reals, (thirty- 
seven and a half cents,) per day. 

Unlike most civilised people who eat three meals a day, the inhabitants 
of South America never eat more than two. The morning meal or break- 
fast is taken about eight or nine o'clock, and the other in the afternoon 
aboiit three. The people are generally very temperate in their habits, and 
consume but little animal food. Of vegetables and fruits the large and 
well-filled markets present an almost inconceivable variety, much too nu- 
merous for me to particularize. 

Between the morning and evening meal it is customary, as in all tropi- 
cal climates, to take a siesta of an hour or two during the hottest part of 
the day, and these are generally enjoyed in the luxurious hammocks we 
have before alluded to. Indeed, many people pass the greater part of their 
lives in these temptations to indolence. 

As to amusements, there are none that we know of which are more of 
a public nature than the social gatherings, such as balls, fandangoes, etc., 
which are not unfrequent, and where music and dancing constitute the prin- 
cipal part of the evening's entertainments. The most common, and at the 
same time, simple recreation, is that which is generally enjoyed every eve- 
ning, when almost the entire population of the city seems to turn out of doors 
to enjoy the refreshing coolness of the breeze which invariably springs up 
about nightfall. The grand and magnificent promenade in front of the city, 
which we have before described, then presents a very gay and brilliant ap- 
pearance from end to end, with its unbroken row of brilliantly lighted shops 
on one side, and the numerous throng moving in all directions or listlessly 
reclining upon the many seats which are provided for the accommodation 
of the public. 

The animation and brilhancy of the scene is also very much heightened 
by the numberless dealers in cakes, confectionary, fruits, or cooling and de- 



A CRUISE IN A WHALE BOAT. 77 

licious drinks, who expose their commodities for sale in all directions, either 
upon cloths spread upon the ground, or oftener yet upon little tables 
clothed in white, and at the same time continually invite the attention of 
passers-by to their stock in trade. On Sunday evenings, particularly, the 
whole population seems to be celebrating some gay festival, and every fam- 
ily or individual who ever sell anything eatable or drinkable, boarding- 
house keepers particularly, vie with each other in furnishing a table of a 
greater or lesser size with the most tempting variety that their means will 
allow. 

Wine and spirituous liquors, particularly aguadiente, are both plentiful 
and cheap, and universally drank ; still the people are generally temperate 
in their potations, and there is not much actual intoxication among the na- 
tive population, not one-tenth as much, indeed, as there is among foreign 
residents and travellers, in proportion to their numbers. The wine which is 
made in the country is pretty good, some very fine, and the best is sold for 
about twenty -five cents a bottle in Guayaquil at retail ; but farther south, as 
iu' Chili, wine is better, more abundant, and much cheaper, never more than 
a medio, or six and a quarter cents per bottle. 

The old Spanish tastes and customs still display themselves, though at 
rare intervals, in an occasional bull fight. There was but one in Guayaquil 
while I was there, and that I had not an opportunity of witnessing, as it 
took place during the period of my confinement aboard the steamer lying in 
the river. It created a great sensation in the city during the day, and I 
could see immense crowds flocking to the exhibition, but from the reports 
concerning it, it was nothing more than a dastardly murder of two or three 
spiritless bulls after they had been tormented into a feeble rage. 

While speaking of amusements, we must not forget to mention the 
large and excellent military band, numbering, fifty performers, which played 
for an hour or two, upon two evenings in the week, before the Governor's 
house, which overlooked the river. They were mostly native musicians^ 
and performed very much to the satisfaction of an immense crowd, which 
invariably attended upon such occasions. 

The feelings or sentiments entertained by the inhabitants of Guaya- 
quil, and other cities along the coast, towards foreigners, particularly Eng- 
lish and American, are not of the most friendly or cordial description. And 
indeed, although national pride inclines us to wish and say otherwise, we 
cannot help considering this dislike, so generally felt and expressed, as fairly 
warranted by the disgraceful conduct of the foreigners generally, with whom 
they are acquainted. These are of course a very poor specimen of the 
citizens of the country which gave them birth, being composed almost en- 
tirely of needy adventurers, and seafaring men, who arrogate to themselves 
a national superiority, and despising the people they are among, are 
restrained by public opinion, from resorting to the most knavish and sordid 
arts to accumulate wealth, or indulging in all kinds of lustful excess. Sailors 
particularly, almost invariably get beastly drunk as soon as they go ashore^ 
and while they remain there, indulge as far as the law allows, in the most 
brutish excesses. No wonder that such a strong contrast to the temperate 



'^9 A CRUISE IN A WHALE BOAT. 

and abstemious habits of the natives, should inspire the latter with a con- 
temptous disgust for all foreigners, and cause them to indiscriminately apply 
to them the appellation of " boorah " or jackass, or if they are driving one 
of these animals any where within hearing of a foreigner, they delight to call 
him " Englesi " or Englishman, and at the same time belabor him soundly 
"with a club. 

These donkeys stand almost as much bearing as if they were construc- 
ted of the hardest kind of wood ; indeed they exhibit little more sense of 
feeling or animation, than if they really were so, and exhibit more spirit in 
standing stock still, and refusing to budge an inch, than they do in any other 
way. They are very extensively used by the poorer classes, as they 
cost but very few dollars, and can be kept without any expense, upon the 
common lands about the city. 

Speaking of beasts of burden reminds us that there were but very few 
vehicles, and these of the most clumsy and creaking description, in com- 
mon use. Articles of merchandize are most generally transported about the 
country, upon the backs of donkeys, mules or horses. Oxen too are used, 
as for dragging timber, &c., but not in very great numbers ; the national 
stupidity is strikingly manifested in their mode of working them, which is 
done simply by attaching ropes to their horns ; and indeed the country 
people absolutely refuse to use a yoke, in the Yankee fashion, although it is 
so clearly superior. 

I will now, in the next chapter, return to our Own experience, during 
some seven or eight months that I remained upon the coast, and allude to 
such parts of it as will throw some light upon various other subjects, life 
aapon the coast, &;c., he. 



CHAPTER XIII. 

Longings for Home — Treachery — Whalers — P. S. N. Co. — Steamships " Peru " and " Chili " — • 
Anxiety — Disappointment — Try Again — Succeed — Boatswain — English Stokers — Hospi- 
tality — Build, Officers, Crew, &c., of the Steamer — Duties — "Dingy Work" — Steward — 
3o Ashore — Sailors' Generosity — Cogitations and Conclusions — Ship for Three Months — 
Atmospheric Phenomena — Extraordinary Exploit. 

Both before and after leaving the ship in which I had left my native land, 
I desired above all other considerations, to return home as quickly as possible, 
and there were not lacking good and sufficient causes for this desire. My 
experience so far had disgusted me with a seafaring life, principally on 
account of being obliged to live in such close companionship with the coarse 
and filthy individuals who are almost invariably met with in every ship's 
forecastle ; and I also strongly desired to exchange my present destitution 
for comparative wealth among friends and relations, whose society I had 
never so highly valued before. 

The galling poverty to which I was subjected after leaving the hospital, 
was very much owing to the treacherous conduct of an individual whom I 
had trusted, the more readily because he was a countryman. I had fre- 
quently seen him, and been visited by him while in custody, and after I had 
determined to go to the hospital, I left quite a valuable stock of clothes in 
his charge, which I did not wish to take there with me, as knowing that 
they would infallibly be stolen if I did so. But I might as well have done 
so, for after coming out I found that I could obtain nothing from " Jim " but 
my clothes-bag, and the bible which I had taken with me when leaving the 
ship ; he declared that he knew nothing of the remainder, they had been 
pilfered from him, etc., so that I had no remedy ; but my suspicions of him 
were confirmed by falling in with the greater part of my property some time 
afterwards, among the crew of the steamer that I went aboard of, and to 
whom he had sold them, 

I soon made up my mind after leaving the hospital, that there would be 
but a small chance for some time to come, of my being able to ship on 
board a craft bound in the direction I preferred. So that I concluded to 
await the arrival of one of the steamers which ply up and down the coast, 
and then obtain leave to work my passage to some port farther south, where 
I could have a choice of the large number of vessels continually stopping 
for a few days, to lay in supplies of provisions sufficient to last them around 
Cape Horn, 

The greater part of these vessels are whalers, and I especially desired 



go A CRUISE IN A WHALE BOAT. 

to return home in one of them, principally on account of my feeble health ; 
for owing to the greater number of hands which they carry than merchant- 
men, the work would be much lighter and the voyage pleasanter, because 
little more is required of the hands when homeward bound, than is necessary 
to work the ship. But before I was able to carry out these designs, much 
more time elapsed than I anticipated, as will be seen. 

The steamers I alluded to above, are two in number, named the " Peru " 
and " Chili," each being about eight hundred tons burden, and owned by 
the " Pacific Steam Navigation Company." This company owes its origin 
to the persevering and indefatigable exertions of Mr. Wheelwright, whose 
name is familiar to commercial men. This gentleman is a native of the 
United States, and being strongly impressed with the benefits which would 
result from the designs he conceived of employing steam vessels upon the 
western coast of South America, he laid his plans and propositions before 
his countrymen in New- York, sometime in the year 1839, for their accep- 
tance. Singularly enough, they were not appoved of, and he then went 
directly to London where he met with ample encouragement, which resulted 
in the formation of the P. S. N. Co., and the construction of the above 
named vessels in the London docks, whence they sailed for the Pacific. 

At the time we are speaking of, they ran between the ports of Guaya- 
quil, in the Republic of Ecuador, and Valparaiso, (or sometimes as far as 
. Talcahuana,) in the Republic of Chili, and stopping at all the intermediate 
places of any note, some twenty in number. The time consumed in one 
of these trips, which was over two thousand miles in length, was between 
three and four weeks. 

And as I before remarked, it was in one of these that I hoped to be 
allowed to work my passage farther south. This vessel was expected about 
the first of April, but owing to some unusual delay, she did not arrive until 
the last of the month. 

Meanwhile, as the time drew near, my anxiety decreased. I knew 
that there were many stouter and healthier men than myself, (indeed I was 
only a boy,) who wished to do the same thing, and it was almost impossible 
that all would be received. But it was the only chance there was of my 
leaving Guayaquil, or meeting with a homeward bound ship for some time, 
and I could only hope for the best. 

At last, however^ the huge black monster came creeping steadily up the 
river against the rapid current, and having anchored in front of the city, 
commenced discharging and receiving cargo, with all possible expedition. 
I soon learnt that during the delay in the arrival of the steamer, the greatest 
haste would be used in transacting her necessary business, and that she would 
probably leave on the evening of the next day. I had no time to spare 
therefore, but notwithstanding my exertions, I was not able to see captain 
Peacock before the morning of the day on which he was to depart. I met 
him accidentally as he was leaving his boat ; he was evidently in a hurry, 
but touching my hat as I approached him, I made known ray request, — 
" Perfectly impossible, my lad, there has been more than a hundred men 
applied already, and I can't take a single man." I ventured to speak of 



A CRUISE IN A WHALE BOAT. 83 

the extraordinary amount of work that I was willing, he, &c., but, — " I 
havn't time to talk, can't take you," completed my discomfiture, and feeling 
as if my heart had suddenly dropped down several inches, and increased in 
weight, I returned to my old friend the blacksmith. 

The case seemed not far from hopeless, but stimulated by the many 
exhortations to " cheer up," and " try some other way to get on board," 
and somewhat too, perhaps by following their friendly advice to " keep my 
spirits up, by pouring good ones down" my throat, I determined to go oa 
board immediately before the hour for the departure of the steamer arrived, 
and then apply to the first Mate who had charge of the vessel when th& 
Captain was ashore. 

Therefore at nightfall, I hired a native to take me to the steamer in a, 
canoe, and soon arriving alongside, hastily ascended to the deck. The night- 
was very dark, and the lanterns scattered about, disclosed the confusion of i 
getting under weigh and receiving cargo, which every where reigned. 
Most of the men were at work in the ship's cutters, and at the moment E 
reached the main deck, Mr. Holloway, the first mate, was on the poop, 
hurrying off one heavily laden with goods and passengers. Perceiving that 
there was no one at hand to obey his order, to cast off the painter from the' 
deck, &£c., I hastened to do it, and then coiling up two or three large ropes-^^ 
that were lying on the deck as if I was perfectly at home, and knew what' 
I was about, I coolly ascended to the poop, whence he was eyeing me witli.| 
some surprise, and asked permission to work my passage to Valparaiso, at 
the same time assuring him of my willingness to do all that laid in my", 
power, he, he. He received me very kindly, and after a short conversa-^I 
tion, gave me leave to come aboard. Elated with joy, I made all haste t(>'| 
the shore, where I received the warm congratulations of my friends, and^ 
especially of the noble hearted engineer of the Naval Steamer, who, not con~[ 
tent with all that he had already done for me, insisted upon going aboard_j 
the Chili, and introducing me to the Boatswain, with whom he was wellcj 
acquainted. I 

Accordingly I was soon in the private cabin of the old tar, who cordially^ 
received me upon my friend's introduction, and forthwith gave me an invi-J 
tation to join his mess, which comprised only the carpenter, who roomed 
with him, and himself. This I willingly agreed to do, as thereby 1 escaped. 
a boy's life in an Enghsh forecastle, which is so much worse than that of 
the veriest cur, that I had really dreaded, and was glad enough to escap© 
it. A boy in such company is always treated like a perfect slave, being not 
only obliged to do the duty of a servant in keeping the forecastle in order, 
during the few hours allotted to him for sleep, and waiting upon the men 
at their meals, but he is also obliged to obey any order that is given him 
by a " man," even if it is to get up in the middle of the night to fetch a 
drink of water. This treatment is a strong contrast to that which is com- 
mon aboard American ships, where the young democracy are apt to count 
upon their rights. 

Therefore in order not to allow the sailors any foundation for the claim 
upon my services, which they might be disposed to assert, the boatswain 



9^ A~ CRUISE IN A WHALE BOAT. 

requested me to pass the night in the forecastle, belonging to the firemen 
and stokers, and until he could obtain, as he afterwards did, Mr. Holloway's 
assent to his plan. 

These firemen a*nd stokers, about a dozen in number, were Londoners, 
who had come out in the ship, to serve a certain number of years, and from 
their habit of mixing but little with the sailors, who were coming and going, 
they had managed to retain in great perfection the slang phrases, manners, 
customs and peculiarities, which so strongly distinguishes that class of labor- 
ers in England. They were mostly rough, heavy, hard-fisted fellows, and 
lovers of the pugilistic art, but withal kind and generous. 

Upon entering their domicile, where the watch below was in their 
berths, and seating myself upon a chest, being both tired and hungry, I was 
soon saluted by a succession of growls, issuing from beneath sundry great 
rough shocks of hair, which intimated that I had got into the wrong box, 
and that the sailors' forecastle was on the other side of the deck. A few 
words of explanation, however, and a brief statement of the destitution I 
had lately been subjected to, brought a couple of them to their feet, who 
hastened to set before me an abundant supply of beef, bread and duff, at 
the same time that they kindly apologized for their roughness. Heartily 
thanking the noble fellows for their hospitality, I attacked the fare before 
me with right good will, and then accepting a berth which was tendered to 
me, I passed the remainder of my first night on board, in sound and refresh- 
ing slumbers. 

The internal arrangement and economy of the steamer I was aboard of, 
did not differ much, except they were on a smaller scale, from those which 
ply across the Atlantic. The after cabin, which was elegantly furnished, 
extended forward to the main deck, and above the poop deck was a prom- 
enade, though it was but little used for that purpose. Forward of the 
wheel houses, on each side of the fore-deck, was a row of half a dozen 
cabins, which were chiefly occupied by the officers, stewards, and others, 
and last of all, a spacious top-gallant fore-castle, divided into two parts, one 
of which was occupied by the sailors, and the other by the firemen and 
stokers, two very different kinds of men, and numbering each about a dozen. 

Of the officers, beside the captain, there were three mates and two mid- 
shipmen, all of whom affected naval attire as well as importance, and though 
last not least, was the jolly old boatswain, who made more noise than any 
man in the ship, always excepting the first mate, Mr. Holloway. 

I soon fell into my regular routine of duties, as far as there could be 
any regularity about them, for I had a hand in almost every thing that 
went on. 

There were three boats attached to the steamer for active service, two 
large cutters which were suspended from each quarter of the ship, and the 
little " Dingy " which I was entrusted with almost the sole charge and 
supervision, with orders to pull one of the two oars which was her com- 
plement ; and as this little boat was in common use while in port, which 
we were almost one half of the time, a very large part of my time was taken 
up with her. She was a comical looking little craft, built very light, and 



"N 



A CRUISE IN A WHALE BOAT. 85 

only about ten feet long and more than half that in width, so that she 
bore no slight resemblance to a washing tub. But she would ride the 
waves like a cockle shell, and was the safest in which to land in a 
heav}' surf. 

The " Dingy " was the only boat used by the steward, and, therefore, I 
was brought into very close connexion with his interesting department. He 
was a genuine John Bull, about five feet and a half high, rather more than 
that in girth, and the very personification of importance. Any infringment 
upon his dignity would cause him to swell up enormously, and his eyes pro- 
ject like those of lobsters. He was in the main good natured, however, 
and always recompensed any extra fiitigue by a liberal glass of grog. 

One important result of my belonging in the Dingy was, that I almost 
invariably went ashore at every port upon the coast, that the steamer stopped 
at. This was on the whole agreeable, as I thereby had an opportunity of 
closely observing the buildings, manners, and customs, &c., of the various 
nations that v/e had intercourse with. But when lying at anchor for three 
or four days at a time, as we were accustomed to do at the large cities, as 
Callao, Valparaiso, &c., my duties in the boat were much more onerous. 
I was usually " roused out " by the steward at about four o'clock in the 
morning to go to market, which took two or three hours, and then after 
working all day long, the " Dingy" and her crew were required to be at the 
wharf at ten or eleven o'clock in the evening, and remain there until the 
officers who were spending the evening ashore, chose to return, which was 
generally a little after midnight. 

I must not omit alluding to the characteristic generosity of the sailors 
aboard, as soon as they discovered my lack of clothes. Being ordered to 
take the look out one night, when the driving wind was loaded with a cold 
and heavy rain, I was obliged in self-defence, to urge the insufficiency of 
my clothing to protect me from the weather. Instantly an overcoat was 
banded me by one, a pair of thick trousers by another, a hat by a third, and 
the next day I had quite a comfortable assortment. 

On the whole, however, I passed my time in a pleasanter manner than 
I expected, and as the time drew near for me to go ashore, I began to 
seriously consider the various suggestions which were made to me by the 
officers, to the effect that I should sign the ship's articles, or " ship" for a 
certain number of months, and I did so the more readily, because I did not 
much fancy the idea of going ashore among strangers, where I might be 
obliged to wait some time before I could procure a homeward bound ship, 
and in the meantime to be destitute of money, and almost entirely with- 
out clothes. 

Therefore, I at length came to the conclusion that I would not exchange 
a certainty for an uncertainty, or leave a situation where I was certain of a 
sufficiency of food, clothing, and medical treatment, during sickness, for a 
sailors' boarding-house in Valparaiso, where there was a probability of my 
being again reduced to the destitution I had lately endured in Guayaquil, 
of which I was heartily tired. While, at the time I signed the articles, I 
firmly determined to allow all my wages to accumulate and thus, at the 



36 A CRUISE IN A WHALE BOAT. 

period of my discharge, be possessed of a sufficient amount to defray my 
expenses ashore, and procure sufficient clothing for my voyage home. 

I shipped, therefore, as "boy," for three months, with the understand- 
ing that I should still continue in the boatswain's mess, and being then at 
work for wages I commenced a more systematic routine of labor, and per- 
ceived at once the different relation in which I. stood towards the officers 
and men. Before, as I was only expected to do enough to compensate for 
my board and passage, I was more of a nondescript than any thing else, 
answering to the mates, midshipmen, boatswain, steward, engineers or 
sailors as my services were required. But afterwards, my duties in the 
boat were paramount to all others, and I knew whom to obey and whom 
to disregard. 

After stopping three or four days at Valparaiso, the steamer com- 
menced her return trip, and I soon found out the difference between the 
trip "up" towards Chili, and the one " down," to Guayaquil in the amount 
of work to be performed. This difference consisted in making and taking 
in sail, which was almost constantly going on in the downward trip, 
whereas, in my first voyage up, there had not been a sail set during the 
whole time. 

To understand this clearly it is necessary for me to allude to certain 
atmospheric phenomena, which I shall only state without explaining. 
During the greater part of the year, the wind blows from the southera lati- 
tudes, say thirty or forty degrees, towards the tropical regions of the Equator, 
with great steadiness, and frequently varying only a few points for many 
weeks at a time. I have been told, and it is my belief, that the atmos- 
pheric current north of the Equator, likewise set in the same direction, but 
not having been over the ground, 1 cannot speak with the same certainty 
as in the other case. Therefore, persons on the coast instead of speaking 
of going North or South, use the phrase of, " to windward," which is in a 
southern direction^ and " to leeward," meaning towards the Equator. 

Just as we were leaving Valparaiso, on our return to Guayaquil, and 
were getting aloft the top-gallant masts, yards and sails, I bad an opportu- 
nity of performing a feat, which is generally well rewarded on certain festal 
occasions. The fore-top-gallant mast, which was some fifteen or twenty 
feet in length, had been well " slushed" or greased while on deck, prepara- 
tory to sending it aloft, and the halliards or large rope which sustains the 
yard and sail, had also been rove throogh the top of it. The mast was 
then hoisted to its place, and we were just about bending the halliards on 
to the yard, when the clumsy Dutchman, who had hold of the end, let it 
go and away it went, flying through the pully at the mast-head, and then 
the whole length of rope came rattling down upon the deck and heads of 
the men ; to their dismay and my agony, for I suspected what would come 
next. There stood the tapering mast in its place, glistening in the sun 
with the slippery coating I had just abundantly laid on, and on the poop 
in front of the passengers, was Mr. Holloway, walking to and fro like a 
raging lion, and bellowing at the men in all parts of the ship. Quick as 
thought, he perceived the disaster, and with a lurking smile^ roared out, 



A CRUISE IN A WHALE BOAT. Q"? 

" Lay aloft there, you Jim, and reeve them halliards." Instantly seizing 
one end of the rope, I sprang into the rigging and scrambled for the top. 
mast head, as if my life depended on my speed, determined to show that I 
could do some things quickly if not others, and then I took a hasty glance 
around. On the poop were about a hundred and fifty passengers, staring 
with all their eyes at every thing strange and myself in particular ; below 
me were the uplifted faces of all the crew, and the old boatswain who was 
singing out, " be lively," by way of encouragement ; and above was the 
mast describing an arc of about forty feet, with a jerk at each end, as the 
steamer rolled heavily from side to side in the trough of the sea. 

There was no time to lose, however, and collecting all my energies, I 
commenced my ascent, but had not got up more than two or three feet 
before an unlucky jerk sent me sliding down on my knees in the top. The 
passengers seemed more interested, the mate stopped in his walk, the men 
grinned, and the boatswain encouraged me again. This was too much, and 
setting my teeth, I clenched the mast with the energy of desperation, and 
commenced such a climbing, shinning, wriggling, crawling and swarming, 
that I at last accomplished my aim, and added something to my reputation, 
which about that time gained me the soubriquet of '* Spider." 



CHAPTER XIV. 

Description — Contrasts in Climate — In Scenery — In Countries — In Natural Productions — In 
People — In Price of Fruits — In Sailing to Windward — In Beef Cattle — Splendid Beef — 
Yankee Vegetables — Good Living — " Copper John" — Standing Joke — Hydropathy — Pas- 
sengers — Ludicrous Stupidity — Content — Continued — Slaves — Anchor in Guayaqnil — Jolly 
Times — Pine Apples — ^Gold and Silver — Animals — Monkey Shines — Aguadiente — Landing 
at Pisco. 

Many reasons, sufficiently evident of course, prevent my attempting to give 
minute descriptions of the innumerable objects of interest which exist, and I 
perceived along the great extent of coast, that I traversed in the steamer 
five different times. Indeed wild youths of the age I was at that time, are 
apt to seek only pleasure in the present, rather than information and in- 
struction. 

There were differences in climate. In Guayaquil during the day we 
were literally scorched by the fiery heat of the sun, which kept us in a 
profuse perspiration, as we toiled at our various tasks, and the shades of 
night hardly served to cool our heated blood. But in the ports of Chili, it 
being the coldest part of the year, we could endure warm clothing, during 
the day, and be troubled with cold feet at night, especially if they got wet, 
as mine very frequently did. In fact from Callao south, I used to suffer 
not a little while spending hours at a time by night and in my boat, and not 
unfrequently wet from head to foot by landing in a heavy surf. 

Stronger contrasts too often presented themselves, even within the range 
of human vision. For days at a time, while oppressed with heat upon the 
steamer's decks, would we behold the rugged peaks of the lofty Andes, white 
and glistening with the ice and snows of ages. 

There were varieties of scenery and these innumerable. Many a time 
while sailing in the tropics, has the glorious moon disclosed scenes of such 
surpassing loveliness that any description would be a mockery, and then for 
long periods nought scarcely was to be seen but sandy slopes or high and 
rugged rocks, which seemed to smile defiance at the angry surge which 
Jashed their towering sides. 

There were many countries, each with its peculiar natural productions, 
some, clothed with the most luxuriant vegetation, and teeming with life and 
animation, yielding every variety of delicious fruits and nourishing food, 
while others presenting only sterile tracts, and rocky heights to the view, 
were no less rich in numerous mines of precious metals and useful coal. 

And scarcely less than climate, scenery and natural productions differ, 
the people with whom we held intercourse at every port in their bodily 
constitutions and mental peculiarities, their social customs and daily occupa- 
tions. Those living in the enervating climate of Ecuador, shun laborious 



A CRUISE IN A WHALE BOAT. 89 

toil, and cannot bear extreme fatigue ; midway in Peru, the hardy miners with 
muscles hke steel, toil from morn till night in the bowels of their rocky land, 
while in Chili's temperate climate industry, healthful vigor, and happy 
cheerfulness prevails. 

It was curious to observe the different estimation in which the same 
kind of fruit was held by the people we came in contact with during two 
or three weeks. In Guayaquil I used to buy at retail eighteen large 
oranges or three small apples, whichever I preferred, for a medio, six and a 
quarter cents, but in Valparaiso or Talcahuana the same sum would procure 
just three small oranges or eighteen large apples. These were the extreme 
points, but in all the ports south of Ecuador, tropical fruits were eagerly 
sought after and bought at enormous prices by the wealthy land-holders, 
who spend their gold ounces, as the other people spend dollars. I have 
frequently seen pine-apples, which are most prized, sell for four or five dollars 
apiece, and a few years before, they would command ten or fifteen, and 
that only twelve or fifteen days sail by the steamer from the place where 
they were purchased for a medio or real. 

The reason of these high prices was owing to the impossibihty almost 
of preserving them on board the sail craft, which were the only method of 
transporting them before the steamers came upon the coast. And these 
vessels being obliged, for reasons I have before explained, to beat to wind- 
ward the whole distance, would oftentimes be forty or fifty days in making 
the same distance which the steamer would accomplish in ten. 

There was as great a difference in many other articles of food, not only 
in price but in quality. In the Tfopics, as I stated in some cursory remarks 
upon Ecuador, the beef cattle are comparatively few in number, and small in 
size, while their flesh, of which not a great deal is consumed, is sold, if I re- 
collect aright, as high as a real, or twelve and a half cents per pound. But 
as we go farther south the plains are covered with roaming herds of count- 
less thousands of cattle, both wild and partly domesticated, or at least 
branded with somebody's mark. And still farther on in ChiH, are to be 
found some of the most magnificent cattle in the world, large, strong, and 
spirited, and looking as if they made it the whole business of their lives to 
eat and grow fat. 

And here we used to procure some of the most delicious beef that ever 
delighted an epicure ; such magnificent hind quarters, enormously large and 
almost entirely covered with golden fat, it has never been my good fortune 
to see or taste in any other part of the world. It may be that I relished 
them the more because I was generally blessed with an extraordinary ap- 
petite, but I am, nevertheless, firmly resolved never to admit the superiority 
of any other kind. And not the least surprising thing about that beef was, 
that the finest could always be procured for about one cent per pound. 

In the same regions, too, may be found in extraordinary abundance, 
and at a proportionate price, nearly every variety of Yankee vegetables, 
only much larger and finer, and many other kinds too numerous to mention. 

Thus I have shown, though very imperfectly and briefly, that nearly 
every different section of country produces something suitable for food ia 



90 A CRUISE IN A WHALE BOAT. 

abundance. And as the passengers and crew of the steamer were supplied 
almost daily with fresh provisions, which were purchased from the shore, 
it may be imagined that we sailors did not lack for variety, or, to the credit 
of the officers, for very good living, myself particularly, from my intimate 
connexion with the steward's department ; 1 used frequently to throw out 
of the little window of the boatswain's cabin, large dishes full of cold chicken, 
duck, he, in order to make room for a fresh supply. Then, too, our mess 
would frequently commission me to purchase a delicious dinner in the morn- 
ing, when I went with the steward to market, and at such time I only took 
the ship's allowance of good soup and smoking roast beef, into the door in 
order to pass it out of the window. All this was very fine to one who had 
practiced starvation as extensively as myself during the past few months. 

But before concluding my dietetic remarks, I must pay a tribute to the 
memory of a very extraordinary individual who officiated as cook to the 
crew, and who was called " Copper John." 

Imagine a lean, stooping, bilious, copper-colored looking individual, about 
five feet and a half in height, with a face as sharp as a hatchet, eyes like a 
weasel, and a nose which resembled the beak of an eagle, only that it was 
longer and had more of a Roman cast. His long, dark, and narrow sanc- 
tum was situated just forward of the wheel-house, and there, fretting to and 
fro in his dungeon all day long, he used to growl, snarl, and snap at the 
passers-by, or those who were so unfortunate as to have any business 
with him. 

Therefore, it was generally considered the best standing joke in the ship, 
to request a green-horn or a new comer when he sat down to his first din- 
ner, to go and remind Copper John that he had neglected to send in the 
usual quantity of black pepper; I also carried this message, but I no sooner 
witnessed his diabolical contortions of countenance, than I sloped before he 
found time to utter a word. 

He stood in fear of the crev/ in their corporate capacity, nevertheless, 
on account of his having been previously " cobbed " two or three times. 
This cobbing operation is performed by lashing the patient to the barrel of 
the ship's windlass, face downwards, and then each individual inflicts a 
sound blow upon a very sensitive part with the cook's ladle, or sometimes 
the flat of a handsaw is equally if not more efficacious. 

The most prominent of the cockney rascal's failings, was his unchangea- 
ble habit of getting drunk whenever he had an opportunity, and especially 
at night, which he managed to effect pretty often when we were lying in 
port. At such times we used to make an orthodox application of the prin- 
ciples of Hy-drop-Kthy, or water-cure, by hauling him out of bed very early 
in the morning and putting him under the pump, in order that thereby wc 
might excite such a degree of animation as would enable him to cook our 
breakfast. 

The extensive accommodations for passengers which the steamers 
afforded were generally well filled, and sometimes crowded to overflowing. 
They were of all complexions and tongues, Spaniards, Americans, French- 
men, Englishmen, &ic., travelling for business or pleasure, and not unfre- 



A CRUISE IN A WHALE BOAT. 91 

quently would be seen some magnate for the first time emerged from his 
country hfe in order to acquire a knowledge of the world in general, and his 
own country in particular. 

As regards their seasickness and other manceuvres on ship board, I pre- 
sume they were like all other passengers only more awkward, as they fre- 
quently exemplified by going to the windward side of the ship in order to 
release the rebellious contents of their stomachs, which the ascending cur- 
rent of air would infallibly blow back into their faces •, suffice it to say that, 
that the men used to consider themselves partly repaid for the frequent use 
of a swab which they were obliged to make, by maliciously enjoying the 
ludicrous agonies of the seasick mortals who caused them the trouble. 

The only indication of slavery I ever saw on the coast, was when a 
slave-driver and fifteen or twenty negroes took passage for a short distance. 
The poor creatures seemed the very personification of animal degradation 
and abject misery, and their driver, an American or Englishman, notwith- 
standing his swaggering deportment, was evidently ashamed of his business, 
and not insensible to the contempt manifested by a general avoidance of 
his society. I involuntarily imagined from the expression of his face, as he 
went over the side, that he was impatient for an opportunity to vent his 
suppressed rage, by an extra use of his lash upon the backs of his victims. 

At length the steamer once more drew near to Guayaquil, and as we 
passed Puna and commenced ascending the river, familiar places momen- 
tarily appeared, every one bringing some remembrance of my adventures 
while cruising in the whale boat with my old companions. At length we 
came in sight of the city, and were soon laying at anchor in the river 
for a stay of three or four days, and the usual laborious work immediately 
commenced. 

I soon had an opportunity of conversing with many old friends and 
acquaintances, and I was especially pleased at meeting Lawrence and 
Albert, who then belonged aboard a coasting craft, which at the time was 
lying in the stream. We soon fixed upon a certain night, which we deter- 
mined, to spend together ashore, if we could all obtain leave to do so, as we 
were at last enabled to. This was in fact the only time during my stay 
aboard the steamer, that I allowed myself to ask for liberty ashore, as I was 
bent upon saving my wages until I left, and my request to that effect was 
readily granted. Therefore at sunset we all met ashore, and commenced at 
once the work of enjoying ourselves, which we kept up in high spirits in 
every part of the city until midnight arrived. By that time, as we did not 
care to run the risk of being carried to the calaboose by the police for be- 
ing out at a prohibited hour, we adjourned to a well known boarding house, 
and being joined by three or four others, gave way to jolly revelings. 
Mirthfulness reigned supreme, and laughter, jokes and songs filled up the 
time, while generous wine flowed never more abundantly, or disappeared 
with such marvelous celerity. At last all things began to dance around, 
not men alone, still seated in their chairs, but the table too — " steady, my 
lad," — the song goes on — bottles and glasses dance to the strain — the lights 
are meteors darting to and fro — fainter grows the song — Morpheus holds 



92 A CRUISE IN A WHALE BOAT. 

forth his arms — ^olian strains linger in the distance — 'tis dark — and all is 
hushed. 

The next morning after our ablutions, strong coffee and dry toast were 
voted the best remedies for headache, and breakfast being over we separated 
for the employments of the day. 

Before leaving, the steamer took on board the enormous amount of at 
least fifty or sixty tons of delicious pine-apples, besides large quantities of 
plantains, bananas, &;c., which were intended for sale all along the coast, 
and a very profitable speculation they turned out to be. They were stowed, 
hung and packed in every available place above the main deck, and on 
both sides of the poop for its whole length, were large crates filled to the 
brim. No body lacked for fruit of all kinds to eat, for some two or three 
weeks after, as the rolling of the vessel continually caused the ripest ones 
to fall about the decks. 

In the upward trips the steamer, among other articles of freight, fre- 
quently received on board immense quantities of the precious metals, the 
principal part of which was always destined for Valparaiso, there to be 
coined perhaps or sent abroad. I recollect of hearing the captain once 
remark that there was no less than ten tons of silver in the specie room, 
beside a large amount of gold; and this did not very much exceed the 
quantity usually carried up. 

This metal was brought upward in every shape. In dollars, and then 
they were done up in bags of hide, one thousand being put in and sewed 
up tightly when the skin was green and capable of being stretched, so that 
when it shrunk upon being exposed to the sun, the mass of coins were as 
compact as if they were in a vice. Sometimes and most frequently it was 
in form of bars or cakes, the former being of every shape, and varying in 
weight from twenty-five to seventy-five pounds, while the cakes were gen- 
erally only from one half to two inches thick, and as irregular in their 
appearance, as if a mould had been made in sand with the hands, and the 
silver run into it while in a liquid state. As the irregular edges of the 
latter kind were liable to break off, they are always more or less protected 
by a covering of hide. 

There were also generally many kinds of animals and birds on board 
belonging to the officers and passengers. Of birds, parrots were the most 
numerous, and of animals monkeys were the greatest favorites. These used 
to cause no little sport by their mischievous tricks, sometimes mimicking 
the men when they were pulling and hauling ropes, or else putting them- 
selves into a towering passion at being disturbed or laughed at, which would 
only redouble their rage and excite them to hiss, spit, and chatter with 
increased fury. 

I must relate one little incident that came near causing the death of 
certain individuals with their immoderate laughter. Immediately after 
breakfast one fine morning, I went aft for the semiweekly allowance of flour, 
molasses, &2^c., for the use of our mess. I brought the flour forward in a 
large, shallow earthen pan, even full, with a pint cup of molasses placed 
upon the top of it, and as the little table of our cabin was entirely covered 



A CRUISE IN A WHALE BOAT. 93 

with the breakfast dishes, I placed the flour and molasses in the bed of the 
boatswain, not yet made up, for a few moments only. Then collecting 
together the dirty dishes, I carried them to Copper John, and being detained 
for a few moments, did not return immediately to the cabin, the door of 
which I had as usual left open. But when I did so there was Jocko sitting 
in the flour and hastily conveying the molasses from the cup to his mouth 
by jneans of his paws, which he first dipped into the sticky liquid and then 
lapped with his tongue. The knowing rascal no sooner perceived me in 
the doorway, which was the only outlet, than conscience stricken, he yelled 
with fear, and began running to and fro in the berth, knocking over the 
molasses cup, and with the contents of that and the flour stirring up an ex- 
tempore pudding in the midst of the bedclothes, while covered himself even 
to his face with both articles, he looked like a restless ghost in need of a 
catholic exorcism. As there were none of the ghostly fathers on board to 
perform that ceremony, I made a desperate plunge at him ; he was too 
lively for me though, and after he had received a few punches and repaid 
me with several scratches, he ran over my head and out of the door. But 
he was not yet clear ; the old boatswain who had been seated on the 
windlass quietly smoking his pipe, perceived the nature of the conflict just 
in time to catch the flying brute by his tail, as he was ascending the rig- 
ging. Encouraged by his late victory over myself, the infuriated beast 
turned upon the old taf with tooth and nail, and after knocking off his 
tarpaulin, scratching his face, pulling his hair and breaking his pipe, again 
managed to escape and was soon out of harm's way, setting upon the main 
stay, where he continued licking himself, spitting and chattering by turns, 
for about six hours, much to the mortification of the boatswain, who could 
not bear the sight of a '• d — d monkey," for a long time afterwards. 

Beside innumerable other articles of freight, large quantities of Agua- 
diente are transported from one port to another. On the whole, this is the 
liquor most universally drank by all classes ; it is, I believe, made generally 
of sugar-cane, and resembles N. E. rum in color, though differing very much 
in flavor. It is of course, of different qualities, some being very fine and 
palatable, while other varieties are just the reverse. It is put up mostly in 
small tapering earthan jars, holding about one or two gallons, and we always 
received on board large numbers of these from a city named Pisco, which 
is said to produce not only more than any other place, but also the best. 

I shall never forget this place as being the very worst at which to land, 
of any other port on the coast were a landing was ever attempted, as it was 
almost entirely exposed to the open sea. Notwithstanding ray dislike, 
though, I was invariably obliged to go ashore in the Dingy every time we 
came to the port, and was always very happy if I escaped with nothing but 
a thorough ducking. The appearance of the rollers mountain high, which 
came rushing furiously to the shore, and continually broke with a thunder- 
ing crash, was absolutely appalling, and we could only land in safety by 
reversing the boat as we neared the surf, and backing stern foremost to 
the shore. 

I particularly recollect landing upon a certain morning when the surf 



94 ' A CRUISE IN A WHALE BOAT. 

was unusually high. The pursy steward had only a few days before fallen 
from his horse and broken his arm, so that he was obliged to carry it in a 
sling. This made him a little nervous about going, but as his business 
rendered it necessary, we set off from the ship and at last managed to gain 
the beach, after several narrow escapes from being upset. In about half an 
hour the steward returned, and taking his seat in the boat we run her a lit- 
tle way into the breakers, and then jumping in seized our oars and pulled 
lustily through and over the furious breakers, which covered us with their 
spray, and threatened each instant to engulph the boat. We were just con- 
sidering ourselves fairly beyond, when the really frightful looks of the steward 
and an order to " pull hard " caused me to look around, and then I saw two 
or three heavy swells a quarter of a mile off, and every moment rising in 
height as they rushed rapidly towards us. Our object then was to ride over 
them before they could have time to break, otherwise there was not much 
doubt of our fate. Therefore, we bent our oars to the task, and successfully 
passed the two first, when a glance behind showed the last one some fifteen 
feet off, and towering in one green wall away above our heads just beginning 
to curl and froth upon the top, preparatory to a grand crash. The steward's 
face swelled enormously, his eyes started from the crimson mass of flesh like 
lobsters', and we strained every nerve — when the roller rushed like lightning 
beneath our boat, actually leaving it entirely out of water, to fall some six 
feet through the air, and broke with an awful crash just a few feet astern. 
The steward's head gradually diminished in size, and we pulled merrily for 
the ship, congratulating ourselves upon our narrow escape. 



CHAPTER XV. 

Singular Boats — Fishermen — Abundance of Fish — Numbers of Rirds — Seals — Police Regula- 
tions and Customs, etc. — " Scrape," in Valparaiso — Old Tom — Arrested — Stock Transac- 
tions — Lambayeque — Northers — Stormy Scene — Perilous Adventure — Go Ashore — Talca- 
huana. 

At some places on the coast of South America attempts were never made 
to land in the steamer's boats, on account of their exposed situation and the 
dangerous surf. At these ports the steamer would be visited by the large 
kind of balsas that I have previously described, large surf boats, and many 
other kinds, which were to me of a new and singular description. 

One kind in particular deserves notice for its simplicity, and, at the 
same time, perfect safety, being in fact a very large life preserver, and 
therefore ■ much used. It was made of two very large seal skins, as I was 
informed, from six to eight feet in length, which after being dressed and pro- 
perly prepared, were each carefully sewed up, so as to make them air-tight, 
and then painted of a red color. After being blown up or inflated with air, 
they were laid parallel at, say three or four feet apart, and a small platform, 
generally about five feet square, constructed upon the top of them, and on 
this frail machine the amphibious natives, fishermen particularly, would 
brave the heaviest or highest waves. 

They are most used by fishermen in their occupation, and we used fre- 
quently to see numbers of them, each with his basket lashed beaide him, and 
his feet perhaps dangling in the water, busily engaged in hauling in his 
prey. We u^d frequently to call them alongside, and have oftentimes pur- 
chased fish from them unsurpassed for the beauty of their forms and colors, 
and their fine flavor. And the price of these was never more than one me- 
dio for a deck bucket full. 

I should pass by a very prominent and important part of the resources 
of the people upon the coast, if I neglected to allude to the great abundance 
of all kinds of fish upon every part of the coast, and particularly in the re- 
gions near the equator. Here the water literally teems with innumerable 
varieties of the finny tribe, from the dense shoals of minims an inch in 
length, to the enormous whale which consumes millions of the smaller 
kinds at a repast. 

And among all these are very many kinds which are extensively used 
for food along the coast. They are generally prepared for transportation by 
splitting them open, and then after dipping them in salt water taken from 
the ocean, they are laid upon the rocks in a burning sun, where they soon 
become almost as thin and as hard as a fine shingle. In this state they are 
packed into bales and sent in all directions. 



96 A CRUISE IN A WHALE BOAT. 

These infinite varieties and shoals of fishes afford sustenance to such 
numbers of seafovvl as baffle all description, and are of every size, from three 
inches to six feet in length. They are seen in the greatest numbers when 
the wind has been blowing for some time strongly towards the shore. The 
air as far as the eye can see in every direction is literally darkened with them, 
while they constantly keep up an almost deafening racket with their cries. 

To this great abundance of sea-fowl, it is well known, that the formation 
of the Guano Islands in the Pacific, as well as other parts of the world, is 
attributed. I saw and visited many of thern, but as they have been so often 
described I will not notice them farther. 

Seals also abound in great numbers. We frequently passed isolated rocks 
half a mile in length, perhaps, and some distance from the shore, which were 
literally covered with the amphibious beasts. These I presume, and have 
been informed, were mostly hair seals, whose skins are not very valuable. 
The far seal used to be very abundant upon various parts of the coast, where 
now there are very few if any remaining, having been almost exterminated 
by the hunters. 

At length the steamer anchored in Valparaiso again, and here I got into 
a scrape that will throw some light upon the police regulations of the city, 
and especially those relating to the custom-house department. And I have 
no hesitation in relating the consequences to myself of the indiscretion of 
another individual, because I think that it is not the punishment for crime 
which disgraces a man, but the fact of his having committed it, and I also 
believe that if a person is punished without cause, he is not morally dis- 
graced thereby^ but only subjected to more or less inconvenience. 

It may not be amiss to remark, by way of preface, that in point of 
numbers alone, the police all along the coast excel any other nation I am 
acquainted with. All these constables, if I may so call them, whether 
belonging teethe day or night police, are always armed more or less, and 
generally with a cutlass. The officers, too, are numerous in proportion to 
the privates, and are always mounted and more fully armed. Like all 
cowardly people, they are generally very harsh in their treatmerft of prisoners, 
and, also, those whom they are ordered to arrest, their orders being generally 
accompanied by an injunction to carve up any man without mercy who 
(jares to resist. This they are only too willing to do, and oftentimes to a 
drunken wretch unnecessarily, so that frequently of a night, a good part of 
the prisoners will be covered with blood. 

In Valparaiso the police force is very numerous and efficient, being bet- 
ter disciplined than in any other place on the coast, particularly in that 
department to which is confided the execution of the regulations of the 
Custom-House department. And these are necessarily very strict both on 
account of the form of the harbor and city, and the great number of vessels 
which are almost always lying at anchor. Among these, police boats are 
constantly moving, both by night and day, in order to prevent or detect 
irregularities, while a great many watchmen are necessary in order to pre- 
vent goods being landed and carried up into the city, which extends for 
three or four miles around the head of the beautiful bay of Valparaiso. 



A CRUISE IN A WHALE BOAT. 97 

It was eight o'clock in tlie evening of a long laborious day, and supper 
being just over, Tom and myself were ordered into the cutter in order to 
pull Mr. Holloway ashore. The night was raw and very cool, but being 
in haste I neglected to wear anything except the thin shirt, duck trousers, 
and straw hat which I had on at the time, thinking that the exercise of 
pulling would keep me warm, and that I should not be gone long. 

Tom was a genuine old jack tar, always trim and sailor-like in his per- 
son, verging on the sere and yellow leaf, and confirmed in habits of dissi- 
pation, which he naturally always thought it of paramount importance to 
gratify. Therefore, when Mr. Holloway had ascended the wharf, Tom 
touched his hat and very humbly asked leave to go up to the " Red Lion," 
and buy a small quantity of grog. 

Of course this request was not granted by the mate, who had lately 
been much annoyed by drunken men, and he accompanied his positive re- 
fusal with the strictest injunctions to return immediately aboard. We there- 
fore shoved off without saying anything more, although I shrewdly suspec- 
ted that Tom would make another effort to procure the grog, and the more 
strongly because he told me, being nearest the wharf as we pulled away, 
to keep my eye on the mate, who staid to see us off, seemingly determined 
to wait until we had got aboard. At last, however, as the night was dark, 
and the steamer lay some distance from the shore, he lost sight of us amid 
the shipping, and I saw his lighted cigar turn round and walk up the street. 

Apprising Tom of this, as in duty bound, he directed me to back water 
while he pulled the boat's head round, and then shaped our course to that 
part of the beach just in the rear of the " Red Lion." We soon arrived 
there, when he jumped ashore, and telling me to keep the boat a few yards 
from the beach and out of the petty surf, he ran up to the tavern for a few 
moments. 

While thus engaged in my solitary employment, I was s'omewhat sur- 
prised to see a couple of officers running towards the boat with drawn 
swords, their cloaks flying in the wind, and followed also by several men 
armed with naked cutlasses. Arrived as near to the boat as the v/ater 
would permit, they imperatively ordered me to shove the boat ashore, 
upon which I, f^r obvious reasons, began shoving off as fast as possible. — 
It was too late, however, for rushing into the water nearly up to their 
armpits, they seized the cutter, and hastily jumping in, one of the officers 
presented his sword to my breast with the assurance that if I did not 
instantly obey his orders, he would run me through. 

With such a contingency in prospect, I of course felt bound to submit, 
and assuming the most respectful manner imaginable, I endeavored to assure 
them of my innocence with regard to any evil designs, and to beg an ex- 
planation of such singular conduct on their part. 

I could, get nothing satisfactory out of them, however, and in pursuance 
of their orders, I assisted to take the cutter round to the pier in front of the 
Custom-House, which v/as about a quarter of a mile off. Arrived there, 
the boat was hauled up on to the beach, in the midst of the crowd which 
soon gathered around where I waited, wondering what would happen next. 



gg. A CRUISE IN A WHALE BOAT. 

I was soon visited by a superior officer, who interrogated me concerning 
the affair, to which I replied, of course, by telling the simple truth, seem- 
ingly to his satisfaction, as he nodded affirmatively, and finally directed me 
to assist in shoving the boat off into the water. 

Mistaking his meaning, partly on account of my limited knowledge of 
Spanish, I conceived that he 'had given me permission to return, as I re- 
quested, to the steamer, and rejoicing in the prospect of getting clear so 
easily, I did not mind getting wet so high as my waist while shoving off the 
boat. But I was soon undeceived, as two or three police officers jumped 
in with me, and directed me to assist in taking the boat to the pier near at 
hand, where she was soon made fast. Everything was then handed out of 
her, and I was marched up to the Custom-House. 

Here I was ushered into the presence of an exceedingly pursy and 
important looking individual, vv'ho requested ms to again account for my 
being arrested under such suspicious circumstances, which I. did clearly, 
by the aid of the Spanish and English tongues, combined with all kinds of 
gestures and signs. I was also directed to tell where Tom had gone, and 
guided by my directions, some three or four couple started at intervals of 
a few minutes in pursuit of liim, but without success, partly on account of 
one or two mistakes Vk'hich I made by confounding the points of the com- 
pass and sending them in a v/rong direction. I learned afterwards, that 
Tom, missing the boat, and suspecting something had gone wrong, returned 
to the " Red Lion," where he imbibed no small quantity of the grog he 
had purchased, and then passed the night on the floor of the bar-room, 
with his arms round the neck of the hui^e watch dog. 

My examination over and committed to writing, the pursy functionary 
seemingly well satisfied, said a k\v words I did not understand to the officer 
who had arrested me, and then dismissed me with a gracious wave of the 
hand towards the door. Again, imagining that I was free, I was just start- 
ing towards the pier, when a hand was laid on ray shoulder, and a couple 
of officials intimating that I was yet in custody, gave me in charge, with 
certain directions, to two of the street watchmen. 

I then came to the conclusion, that I was now really in the hands of the 
Philistines, and I was to bo provided with a night's lodgings at the public 
expense ; and this time I was not mistaken. After the first pair of rascals 
had escorted me a certain distance, they sounded a whistle and a couple 
more appeared, to whom I was transferred, and having been thus handed 
along about a dozen times, I at last arrived at a collection of buildings large and 
small, and was brought to a stand before the door of a one story stone structure. 

The keeper soon appeared with an enormous bunch of keys, and having 
opened the door, grufHy invited me to enter. Looking in 1 perceived an 
/apartment about thirty feet square, stone walls and stone floor, entirely des- 
titute of furniture, with the exception of a plank placed edgewise, near the 
wall, on every side of the apartment. This plank I saw was pierced with 
holes, of from three to six inches in diameter, and although I had never seen 
any thing of the kind before, I easily imagined that they were what are 
vulgarly termed " Stocks." 



A CRUISE IN A WHALE BOAT. 99 

Having a great dislike to all stock transactions, 1 hesitated to enter,, and 
commenced a parley with the keeper, wherein I offered him a cartain num- 
ber of dollars for a more comfortable apartment. But it was 01 no avail, 
and I was at last obliged to take up with a " lodging upon the cold ground ;" 
that is stony ground. And thus I passed the night lying upon my back, 
with my feet elevated about a foot, which prevented my sitting up ; and 
my situation was not rendered any more comfortable by the wet clothes I 
had on, which conveyed the caloric from my body to the cold stone floor, 
with most extraordinary rapidity, as was evinced by the continual spasmo- 
dic action of my eating apparatus. 

But " misery loves company," it is said, and I had the gratification of 
seeing about twenty or thirty victims brought in during the night. This 
gave me something amusing to think upon, as, notwithstanding my hard 
day's work, I was not in the humor to sleep, and still less to ruminate on the 
events which the next day might bring forth. Some were in a state of 
drunken excitement, and these had their necks inserted in the plank as I 
had my ancles ; some shouted, others cried and groaned, and most of the 
time the place seemed a perfect bedlam. About midnight, and to my satis- 
faction, a Spaniard with whom I had had some intercourse, having been 
brought in for being engaged in a domestic row, was placed along side of 
myself. And upon making sundry inquiries relative to the police depart- 
ment of the city, he comforted me with the assurance that I ought to think 
myself extremely fortunate, if I escaped with the privilege of sweeping 
the streets for a year at least, with a thirty two pound shot attached to 
my ancle. 

I may here remark, par parenthesis, that this class of criminals are at 
night confined in barred cages on wheels, like the carriages of wild beasts 
in a caravan, in order that they may be conveniently and safely coveyed to 
wherever their labor is required. 

Revolving these delightful considerations in my mind, I passed the 
remainder of the night. And, to curtail my yarn a little, I was finally 
released next morning, and returned to the steamer a wiser though not a 
better man. 

The season of the year h^d now approached when for three or four 
months strong winds prevail all along the coast, and in the southern lati- 
tudes, heavy gales. This, of course, rendered my duty in the boat as to land- 
ing, fee, only the more unpleasant and dangerous. I recollect particularly, 
the adventures of a certain evening, off the port of Lambayeque. It is a 
place at which the boat of the steamer never attempts to land, on account 
of the heavy rollers which begin to break at least a mile from the sandy 
beach, on which the water deepens but very gradually for some distance 
from the shore. It was customary, therefore, to discharge cargo, &tc., into 
the surf-boats manned by natives. But on the evening I speak of, the 
steamer arrived many hours after her time, and there were no boats to be 
seen, while the pitchy darkness of the night prevented any communication 
with the shore. 

It was about nine o'clock ; there was no rain, but the sky looked black 



J^O A CRUISE IN A WHALE BOAT. 

and threatening with heavy clouds, while the tempestuous winds with furi- 
ous blasts, *ised rough and angry waves, whose inky blackness contrasted 
strongly with the whiteness of their crested tops. Landward, the stormy 
scene was bounded by the long line of raging surf some two or three miles 
distant, and nought beside our boat was visible but a solitary brig, anchored 
between us and the shore, and rising and pitching heavily on the lofty 
billows. 

Although no boat came off to the steamer, I had no idea that any of 
our boats would be lowered, least of all, my own, the Dingy. But I was 
soon apprised that there were letters of importance aboard which must be 
left, and immediately after I was ordered to clear away the Dingy, and 
aided by one oC the men, convey the clerk of the steamer to the brig afore- 
said. This was anything but palatable, but having no discretion in the 
matter, and particularly averse to expressing any fear, I hastily jumped in 
and the boat was lowered away. 

This lowering in a heavy sea I always considered a very disagreeable 
business, as owing to the rolling of the vessel and the waves rising and 
falling alongside, the boat would one moment be ten or fifteen feet out of 
water, and the next descend with a heavy splash into the water, only to 
be jerked up again immediately after. 

We had just got clear of the ship's side, when an exclamation from the 
clerk who was seated in the stern, caused me to look around, when I per- 
ceived a streak of fire seemingly issuing from the bow of the brig to which 
we were bound, fee. We pulled av*^ay, however, and as we were going 
before the wind made rapid headway, but were somewhat astonished at the 
length of time which elapsed before reaching our destination. This was 
soon accounted for, however, by finding that the brig had just before parted 
one of her anchors, and it was the cable flying out of the hawse hole v/hicb 
had caused the light we had seen as we were leaving the ship. 

The clerk's business was soon dispatched on board the brig, which had 
brought up with her best bovver, when we accordingly set out on our return 
to the steamer. And then commenced the tug of war; the wind, which 
increased every moment in fury, was directly in our teeth, and we could 
scarcely make any progress against the heavy sea which covered us with 
spray, and obliged the clerk to learn the art of bailing the boat. But at 
length, after a long and a weary pull we gained the steamer, and the clerk 
having ascended the side, I .was just congratulating myself with the pros- 
pect of being soon on board, when I was ordered to take a turn with a small 
hawser which was handed me from the paddle box, and prepare for a tow 
through the water. Lamenting my fate, I did so v/hile Bill took the helm, 
and we were soon flying along on the tops of the waves as the steamer 
dashed madly onward. It seems that owing to the wind and tide both set- 
ting towards the shore, the lead suddenly disclosed the fact that there was 
not quite water enough under her bottom. 

At length, however, I went under the disagreeable ceremony of being 
hoisted up into the boat, and happy at escaping with a torn shirt, I hastened 
to improve my watch below. 



A CRUISE IN A WHALE BOAT. JQI 

The period of three months for which I had shipped, at last came to an 
end about the middle of the last trip I made in the steamer from Ecuador, 
and I joyfully anticipated the time when I should be emancipated from ser- 
vice, and have an opportunity of embarking in a homeward bound ship. — ■ 
The probability of again returning to my native land seemed now to assume 
a tangible reality, and inspired me with renewed hope and courage to sur- 
mount the discouraging impediments yet before me. 

Instead of going ashore at Valparaiso as I at first determined, I conclu- 
ded to leave at Talcahuana, as being the most suitable place at which I 
might be able to obtain a passage home in a whaling vessel. This I pre- 
ferred to do, as I knew that I should have much less work to perform 
aboard than if I shipped in a merchantman for wages, which would be of 
no object to me after I once set foot in the United States ; and this course 
arose not so much from indolence as from the feeble state of my health, 
which almost incapacitated me from very severe labor, although I had been 
for some time engaged in it. 

But the period at which I left the steamer at Talcahuana, happened to 
be during that part of the year when heavy northers prevail on the coast, 
and the harbor, although sheltered in every other direction, being perfectly 
exposed to their influence, is at such times almost entirely avoided by wha- 
ling and all other vessels, and I was therefore unexpectedly compelled to 
spend six or seven weeks ashore before I could procure a ship. I passed 
most of the time right pleasantly, however, and will give a brief description 
of such parts as will give some insight into life upon the coast. But 
before doing so, I beg leave to make some general remarks illustrative of the 
character of the South American people upon the coast. It would have 
been more appropriate, perhaps, to have inserted them before, but I have 
been writing in such haste, to tell the truth, that they did not previously 
occur to me, and nearly all that I have written being already stereotyped, I 
can only insert them here or not at all. 



CHAPTER XVI. 

General Remarks — Theories, &c. — Natural Influences — First Settlers — Creoles — Differences in 
Bodily Strength — Disposition, &c. — Foreign Adventurers — Hospitality — Own Experience — 
Beach Combers — Singular Manners and Customs — Flogging — The Commodore — Wine- 
Close. 

Before proceeding farther, I wish to make a few general remarks concern- 
ing the causes, &c., of the almost innumerable existing differences between 
the various nations and classes of people in western South America, as 
regards their physical peculiarities and mental qualities ; their dispositions, 
habits, social customs, &.c. 

The researches and theories of antiquarians and others, have led many 
to believe that a great part of the American continent was, in former ages, 
inhabited by nations and tribes of people who had attained to a much higher 
degree of civilization and refinement, and differed in almost every respect 
from those who were discovered by Columbus, and others who have since 
settled in various parts. Indeed there can be no doubt of this from the 
tumuli, ruins and curiosities which have been discovered throughout the 
length and breadth of the land, and which were certainly not fabricated by 
any existing people. 

Also, obscure traditions, physiological resemblances, and other consi- 
derations, have given rise to the belief that these ancient and unknown tribes, 
were literally swept from existence, by the devastating and ferocious irrup- 
tions of countless hordes of Asiatic barbarians, who poured like a torrent 
from Bhering Straits to Patagonia. Their object was gain, and their motto 
extermination, and the natives they encountered, being of mild and inoffen- 
sive disposition, made but foeble opposition to their barbarous and ferocious 
attacks. 

But without dissenting from the latter part of this proposition, I am 
myself rather inclined to the belief that these invaders migrated to that 
portion of the earth's surface now termed the American continent, while the 
Pacific ocean was yet unformed, or before subsequent convulsions of this 
globe, arising from internal causes, had, by depressing some parts of its sur- 
face and elevating others, caused the existing bodies* f water to change their 
localities. They were then able to pass from the eastern to the western 
hemisphere by land, and also to settle upon the intermediate tracts which 
are novN^ entirely submerged, with the exception of the numerous islands 
of the Pacific ocean ; the present inhabitants of which, I conceive to be 
descended from the same stock as the tribes we term the aboriginal inhabi- 
tants of America. 

And the great differences in the physical and mental peculiarities 



A CRUISE IN A WHALE BOAT. 103 

between the many tribes of the latter people, are also referred by some, to 
the action of natural influences, such as climate, soil, natural productions, 
&tc., of the-regions they inhabit, upon them during many centuries. 

Now whether this is really the case, or whether the hypotheses alluded 
to above are correct, I shall of course let every one decide for himself. But 
this at least is certain, that warm or cold climates either enervate or 
invigorate the physical constitution of man, and his energies and mental 
qualities are, more or less, developed in proportion as circumstances create 
desires, and at the same time compel him to exert his talents to satisfy them, 
and procure the means of subsistence. 

And it is no less true, the first Spanish settlers upon the western coast 
of South America, discovered many varieties of Indians, from the effeminate 
and inoffensive native of Peru, to the ferocious and gigantic Patagonian. 
With these they intermarried extensively, and as a result, the greater part 
of the descendants of these white and red men, have both Spanish and 
Indian blood in their veins, and constitute the body of the people in the 
States and Republics which they have formed themselves into. There are 
yet many large tribes of Indians in the interior of the country, who, perhaps, 
have rarely if ever seen a white man, and concerning whom I know little 
or nothing. A.nd there are also some residents upon the coast who boast 
of pure Castilian blood, and whom I shall not particularly allude to, as the 
prominent featues of the Spanish character are generally well understood. 
So that I shall principally confine my remarks to the mixed or creole 
population. 

Therefore, it will be perceived as a natural result, that the distinctions in 
color alone are almost innumerable, varying as they do, from the white com- 
plexion of the Caucasian race, to the hght red, and deep black of the native 
Indian. 

" And the constitutional differences between the inhabitants of those parts 
of South America lying in the torrid, temperate or frigid zones are not less 
perceptible than between those of similar regions in any part of the world. 
Those living in the enervating climate of Ecuador or the northern part of 
Peru, are effeminate and indolent, generally devoting only such a small por- 
tion of their time as is absolutely necessary to procure the means of sub- 
sistence, which old mother earth there produces in the most lavish abun- 
dance. But as we proceed farther south, and towards the temperate and 
delicious climate of Chili, the people are more noble and manly in their 
character as well as in their constitutions, which are much more vigorous 
and healthy, contributing to symmetry and grace, while they generally toil 
as circumstances may require, with ready cheerfulness. And proceeding 
onward, still further toward the rugged climate and inhospitable soil of 
Patagonia, we find the inhabitants either possessed of iron constitutions and 
gigantic frames, or dwarfad and stunted in their growth by cold and 
an insufficiency of nourishment. 

In addition to these distinctions already enumerated, there must neces- 
sarily be, and arc, corresponding ones in dispositions, social habits, 
customs, &;c. 



A CRUISE IN A WHALE BOAT. 

As I before said, I confine my remarks principally to the Creoles, who 
compose the largest part of the population along the coast. They all ex- 
hibit prominent features of the Spanish character, generous hospitality, 
warm friendship, or bitter enmity, jealousy, passion and hasty revenge, more 
or less modified, sometimes improved and sometimes not, by admixture and 
amalgamation with the various and opposing characteristics of their Indian 
ancestors. 

I have also heretofore alluded somewhat at length, to the pretty exten- 
sive prejudice which prevails against foreigners, particularly among those 
who come in contact with them. For this there are many and very good 
reasons ; as I have no doubt but that a parcel of foreign adventurers are 
the very worst curse that can be inflicted upon a simple and unsophistica- 
ted people. As a general thing they are innocent of natural uprightness, 
and unrestrained by the public opinion of a people whom they arrogantly 
affect to despise, so that the more ambitious excite hatred by their insa- 
tiable lust for power and plunder, and the sottish and beastly, contempt and 
derision by their shameful drunkenness and licentiousness, at the same time 
that they introduce the most horrible diseases and degrading habits, which 
I presume are inseparable from the benefits ? of civilization. 

But I am digressing. It is on account of these prevailing prejudices, 
perhaps, that they frequently display their more disagreeable traits in their 
intercourse with foreigners, and thereby impress them with an unfavorable 
opinion of their character. Notwithstanding all allowances, however, it is 
certain that a large portion of these people, especially the military, very 
much resemble the inhabitants of Mexico in some points of their charac- 
ter, being, although more courageous, insolent, tyrannical and overbearing, 
when clothed with a little authority. 

The hospitality and generosity of the country people is sometimes 
curiously united to traits of an entirely opposite character. If a traveller, 
whether foreign or otherwise, should exhibit poverty and want, he would 
always be hospitably entertained, and very likely presented with a roast 
turkey as provision for the next stage of his journey, by the same people 
who would not scruple to cut his throat if he was possessed of wealth or 
-Valuables, in order to obtain them. 

As regards public and private morality generally, it is unfortunately at 
rather a low ebb. But this remark applies with much greater force to the 
more civilized part of the population, those who reside in the principal 
ports and have most intercourse with foreigners, than to the country people. 
Among these, female virtue is held in far higher estimation than in some 
cities, Lima for instance, which are sinks of depravity and licentiousness. 

I will now return to my own experience, &;c., &;c. 
,',, The morning of rny departure from the steamer, which was not unat- 
tended with some regret, I received my wages, amounting to some thirty 
dollars, in gold, with much satisfaction, and having purified myself as much 
as possible from coal dust, and dressed myself in rny best suit, I landed 
in high spirits. To my surprise and gratification one of the first persons I 
met was Sherman, whom, it will be recollected, was one of ray companions 



A CRUISE IN A WHALE BOAT. , K© 

in our " cruise in a whale boat," and heartily exchanging congratulations 
I accompanied him to his boarding-house, which proved to be the. best in 
the place, that is, for sailors. 

There were also about fifteen or twenty other boarders in the house, 
mostly careless jolly tars and clever fellows, who, like myself, were waiting 
for an opportunity to ship, although not on a homeward bound voyage. 

Nearly all of them had been some time ashore, and of course, were 
entirely out of money, living upon credit, with the understanding that their 
bills should be paid out of what advance they might obtain from such ves- 
sels as should require their services. 

Seafaring men living under such and similar circumstances in the vari- 
ous ports along the coast, are generally called " beachcombers," and as 
they constitute a very prominent and rather important class of individuals, 
I shall make a few general remarks concerning them. 

In the strictest sense of the word, a " beachcomber" rather signifies a 
reprobate who lives by his wits, and spends as much of his time ashore 
in idleness apd dissipation as possible. Such individuals, however, com- 
prise but a small part of those to whom the term is applicable, oftentimes 
meaning, as we frequently use it, all the seafaring men ashore at any place, 
who may be without employment. 

This class of people is, of course, composed of foreigners of all nations, 
but the greater part of them are Americans and Enghshmen. Many of 
them preferring such a mode of life to any other, have resided many years, 
perhaps, upon the coast, and have no desire to leave for any foreign coun- 
try. Such resort to innumerable methods of gaining a livelihood, according 
as fancy or necessity may dictate. 

It is a common practice with some to ship for a single cruise of six or 
■eight months aboard of whaling vessels, receiving as wages, a certain 
share, or its equivalent in money, of the quantity of oil obtained while they 
are on board. At other times they will ship aboard of merchant or trading 
vessels bound up and down the coast, or among the many beautiful islands 
of the Pacific ocean. 

Others again, engage in sealing expeditions, which formerly used to be 
very profitable, or capture terrapin upon the Gallapago islands for the sake 
of their oil or fat, which commands a good price. And there are always 
more or less of them serving for different periods in the armies and navies 
of the different Republics. In all the national wars and dissensions where 
there is any fighting going on, they are always sure to have a hand in it, 
upon one side or the other, it don't matter much which, as far as the princi- 
ples or points at issue are concerned, being generally determined in their 
choice by the prospective amount of pay and plunder. 

In view of these multifarious occupations, it will readily be conceived 
that the old residents are generally possessed of a wide and varied experi- 
ence, and I have been frequently interested for hours at a time, while listen- 
ing to their marvellous tales of stirring incidents and hair breadth escapes. 
They are generally hardy, reckless and unprincipled, but still generous, and 
recofrnizing certain laws of honor in their intercourse with one another. 



106 A CRUISE IN A WHALE BOAT. 

Whenever congregated ashore, they form themselves into a regular orga- 
nized body, upon democratic principles, and elect certain officers, whose 
authority so long as they hold their office, is unquestioned. They are 
generally known as the admiral or commodore, a captain, and a boatswain 
with one or two mates. 

Certain laws and regulations are then enacted, which all are expected to 
observe. These are few in number, and refer principally to the observance 
of honorable dealing, he, among the fraternity, though if any individual 
commits any particularly mean or disgraceful act in his intercourse with the 
native population, he is punished for the discredit he thus brings upon other 
seafaring men. 

Infractions of these laws are generally punished by a flogging of a 
greater or less number of lashes administered by the boatswain or his 
mates. 

These customs were, of course, observed among the sailors with whom I 
associated during the time I was in Talcahuana. There were forty or fifty 
in all ashore, and we used to hold our regular and special meetings around a 
long table in a large apartment of the boarding-house in which I resided. 
There was generally but little business to transact, owing to the orderly 
character of the men, and after this was over, songs and festive merriment 
prevailed. 

I witnessed but two or three punishments which were well merited, and 
unanimously decreed. They were administered in the most methodical, 
man of war style, the criminal being raised up to a large gun, placed upright 
in the ground for that purpose, and one or more dozen well laid on to his 
bare back. The authorities seldom or never interfere in these matters, and 
a negro sailor who had his back marked with about three dozen, for stealing 
some clothes from a woman, could obtain no other satisfaction from the 
consul to whom he applied for redress, than being told that he had been 
served exactly right, and that such beneficial regulations would not be 
interfered with. 

I was well acquainted with our Commodore, who was a man in the 
prime of life, and possessed of a liberal education of noble sentiments. He 
had been only a short time previously engaged as schoolmaster aboard a 
man of war, but he was a great enemy to himself, and marred all the better 
qualities of his nature, by the ruinous and degrading habit of indulging ia 
intoxicating drinks. He was eternally making resolutions to reform, and 
would sometimes abstain for many days at a time, but he was invariably 
tempted by one thing or another, to relapse. 

When he was sober, he was a very agreeable and interesting companion, 
and I used almost daily to enjoy walks of several miles into the surrounding 
country in his society. These excursions in a fine day, were always exceed- " 
ingly agreeable, if it was only for the contrast they afforded to the tedious 
confinement on ship-board, and interesting incidents frequently occurred. 

The surrounding country strongly reminded me of New England scenery 
and vegetation, only that it was much more beautiful and luxuriant. All 
the necessaries and luxuries of life, peculiar to a temperate climate, are 



A CRUISE IN A WHALE BOAT. 107 

produced in great abundance, and as I have previously remarked, are sold 
at a very cheap rate. For one real, or twelve and a half cents per diem, 
will procure a single man a very handsome subsistence. 

The country people are generally extremely temperate in their diet, and 
very rarely drink to excess. Their manners are simple, and they generally 
seem cheerful and contented. 

Wine in Chili, and Talcahuana in particular, is very abundant and cheap, 
the retail price for the best not exceeding a medio, or six and a quarter 
cents per bottle. A long earthen jar of wine, is almost invariably found in 
every habitation however humble, and when not for sale, is almost invariably 
proffered to the guest or visitor. Notwithstanding its abundance and cheap- 
ness, it is very pure and good, and is brought down from the country in goat 
skins, slung two upon each mule. These animals always move in single 
file after their leader, who has a bell attached to his neck, and I have 
frequently seen hundreds at a time thus laden descending the neighbor- 
ing hill. 

As nothing farther occurred of material importance, during the remainder 
of my stay in Talcahuana, I yield to circumstances which prompt me to 
bring my remarks to a close at this point. Suffice it to say, that after a 
residence of six or seven weeks, I took leave of old acquaintances and familiar 
haunts with real regret, although leaving under the most favorable auspices 
for my native land, which I gained after a short and pleasant passage. 



THE END. 



'0°The following works are for sale, at the office of the New- York Publication 
/ompany, 80 jo Nassau-street, in the rear. The postage on either one of them, to any 
•ost office in the United States, will not exceed three cents. If any sum less than one 
ollar is sent, the postage on the letter enclosing it must be paid, but if the sum en- 
losed is one dollar or more it need not be poet paid. 0:^?" Either two of the works 
larked 15 cents will be sold for 25 cents, sent free of postage. Address New- York 
'ublishing Company, 80}^ Nassau-street, N. Y. 

In addition to these books the New-York Publication Company will forward any 
^'ork that is advertised in any of the papers published in either Philadelphia, Boston, 
r New-York, free of postage, to any one who will forward to their office, /ree of 
ostf the price of the same. This offer will apply to all books, pamphlets, and periodi- 
•ils. Address, post paid, New-York Publishing Company, 80)^ Nassau-street, N. Y., 
I the rear. 

N. B. Agents wanted in all parts of the United States, and the Canadas, to circulate 
lese and other works. Capable men wishing to engage in the sale of Books and 
■eriodicals, will find it to their advantage, to communicate to the New-York Publishing 
ompany, as better inducements will be held out, not only for the sale of their own 
orks, but of any others, than any similar establishment in the United States. Address 
■! above, nost paid. 

LIST OF BOOKS. 

■ •'acts for iUe People. Price 15 CcMts. 

This work combines a rare compendium of valuable matter, useful to every one. Contents, 
1. What to do in cases of emergency. 2. Art of good behavior. 3. How to get rich. 4. On 
the choice of meats and how to cook them. 5. On the treatment of infants, 6. Diseases of 
the hair. 7. On the preservation of the sight. 8. The art of carving. 9. On warts and corns, 
and how to cure them. 10. Observations on making puddings and small dishes. 11. The 
canary bird Fancier. 12. Etiquette of courtship and marriage. 13. Hydropathy, or the 
water cure. 14. Art of conversation. 15. Cookery for the sick. 16. An account of the 
wealthy men in New-York, Philadelphia, and Boston, showing their origin, history, and present 
circumstances. 
■•'^mcts "witttoMt FicMoai. Price 15 Cea^ts. 

This Work contains a chart, giving an account of all the Battles ever fought by American troops, 
and also, 1. Hov/ to ward ofl' the consumption. 2. Directions for rearing plants and flowers 
in rooms. 3. Remedies in sudden accidents. 4. Advice on the care of the teeth. 5. Marriage 
and its mysteries explained, with advice in the selection of a partner for life. 6. Management 
of young children. 7. Treating of etiquette and politeness. 8. Dogs, prevention and treatment 
of their diseases. 9. The Lady's toilet. 10. The secrets of gambling revealed. 11. Horses, 
their diseases and management. 12. The cause and cure of constipation, &c, &c, &c. 

:y' he PMI©s©s»liy asitl Poetry ©f E.©ve. Price 1 5 Ceaits. 

This is a work of real value, and should be in the hands of every yomig man and woman. 
Contents. — 1. Love defined. — The elements of love. — The origin of jealousy. — Jealousy describ- 
ed. — The sensual element in love. — Love, why the most engrossing of all passions. 2. latliience 
of Love upon the mind. — How it differs in different individuals. — Of the difference between the 
love of man and woman. — Characteristics of woman's love. 3. Love during the middle ages, 
— Love with the Italians. — Jealousy, its nature and origin. — Effects of jealousy upon love. — Unjust 
suspicion, a ca'iie of _]ealou8y. — Peculiar circumstances favorable to jealousy. 4. Love, how it 
may be preserved and how destroyed — How the feeling of security sometimes destroys love — 
What influence carelessness has upon love — The greatest danger to love after marriage — Causes 
of the decline of love — Mental qualities the most enduring — How love may be cherished — Love 
at first sight — How- to cure love 5. Uncertainty, a promoter of love — Difficulty, a promoter of 
love — Effects of difficulty, two-fold — Absence strengthens love — Effect of little caprices and 
quarrels. 6. Books and music a food of love — Gifts — Vicious and imprudent conduct growing 
out of love — Wretchedness arising from injudicious marriages — Love sometimes changes to 
aver.^ian — Danger of marrying without love. 7. Marriage without aiTecaon the result of an 
unnatural heartless state of society — Courtship a delightful period of life — Immoral tendercy of 
marriage without love. 8. Love, its importance, value and beauty — Ail noble beings live in 
their affections — Love in its highest sense — Love identified with religion — Human nature richly 
developed only through love — Love is properly recognition — Conventional alliance — Influence 
of uncongenial bonds upon women — Mutual sentiment necessary to keep affection alive — Give 
me the boon of love — The blind man to his wife — Woman's fidelity — A virtuous woman^- 
Connubial love — My own Fireside — Wedlock, 
©esperadoes of tlae South TWest. Price J 5 Resits. 

This work is written in a most glowing and captivating style, and contains the best accoutit 
of the state of society on our frontier settlements, ever written. It shows the oririn and nature 
of Lynch Law Tribunals, and gives a most thrilling and circumstantial history of the trial, 000** 
viction, and execution, by a liyuch Law Committee of five men, at Cane Hill, Arkansas, in the 
summer of 1842. It is without doubt one of the most captivating narratives ever penned. 
Beautifully illustrated. 



Duelling and Duellists at theSouth West. Price 15 Cents. 

This is a continuation of the " Desperadoes of the South West." Both are sold for 25 cents, 
when done up in one cover. The latter work gives the lives of ten of the most notorious 
duellists of the South, with a narrative of their deeds of blood. Nothing in the whole history of 
" Murder literature," equals the details of this book, for thrilling adventure or dreadful atrocity. 

Progress of America. Price 15 Cents. 

This is one of the most valuable works ever prepared. It contains 1. A complete travelling 
directory, giving a full and consecutive account of the expenses, time occupied, and modes of 
travel on all the leading routes, throughout the United States, and British Provinces. 2. A 
complete list of rail roads in the United States. .3. Statistical tables for politicians. These , 
tables are invaluable to every one who is at all interested in politics. 4. Ages of public men, I 
together with a gi-eat variety of other matter of the greatest value to all. 

Whom to Marry and How to get Married. 

Or the Adventures of a Lady in Search of a Good Husband. By one who has refused twenty 
excellent offers at least. Price 25 Cents. Of this work more than 50,000 copies have been sold- 

Dick Turpin, The Bold Highwayman. 

A Romance of the Knights of the Road. By Henry D. Miles. Price 25 Centp. This is a 
dashing, spirited, and highly attractive work. 

The Lover's Revenge. 

A Tale of Domestic Treachery. Translated from the French of Eugene Sue, by M. D. Beau- 
clerk, late of the Secretary of State's Department, at Washington. Price 12 1-2 Cents. 
"And you villian ! you assumed the name of.lules Paiaisseau ! * * « * You seduced Clemence, 
my affianced — made her a mother, and then abandoned her to her miserable fate." — See page 48. ^ 
To which is added an Essay on the Life and Writings of Eugene Sue; with a Portrait and 
Autograph — from the Paris edition of the Wandering .Jaw. This work is just out, and will no 
doubt create a sensation. 

" This one of the best of Sue's works. Although deeply tragic and exciting, there is nothing 
in it need offend the tasle of the most fastidious." — Family Visitor. 



THE 



QiiOB Pfl 91 



OF THE 

SOUTI-¥EST. 

CONTAINING AN ACCOUNT OF 

THE CANE-HILL MURDERS, 

TOGETHER WITH THE LIVES OF SEVERAL OF THE 

MOST NOTORIOUS REGULATORS A^^D MODERATORS 

OF THAT REGION. 

BY CHARLES SUMMERFIELD. • 




A Pesperadon of the South-West in full costume. 

ITiis is one of the most extraordinaiy books ever published. It contains the 
enly account of the Desperadoes of the South-West ever written. Its details 
respecting the Regulators and Moderators are of the most thrilling chaiacter, 
while the narrative of the Cane-Hill Murders, and the trial and execution cf the 
supposed murderers, absolutely surpass anything to be found in fiction. 

(Q^ The work is splendidly illustrated. 

The cuts drawn hy Elatlieson and engraved bjy Orr. 

For specimen of the style, ^c, see next page. 



^^ Please preserve this Circular till called for. a£^ 



JUST PUBLISHED. 

THE PHILOSOPHY AND POETRY OF 



BEAUTIFUIiY ILLUSTRATED. 

Fa' ice I^' €-eiats» 

To give some idea of the book, read the headings of ths Chapters : 
PHILOSOPHY OF LOVE. 

Chaptes I.— Love defined — The Elements of Love — The Origin of Jealousy — Jealousy 
iDescribed — The Sen&ual Ebiment in Love^Love, why the most Engrossing of all Passions. 

Chapter II. — Influence of Love upon the Mind— How it differs in different individuals — 
Of the difference between the love of man and woman — ^Cliaractsristics of woman's love. 

Chapter III.— Love daring the middle ages — Love with the Italians — Jealousy, its nature 
and origin — Effects of Jealousy upon Love— Unjust suspicion, a cause of Jealousy — Peculiar 
<;ir>Timstancc=! favorable to Jealousy. 

Chapter IV. — Love, how it may be preserved and how destroyed — How the feeling of se 
curity sometimes destroys Love — What influence carelessness has upon Love — The greatest 
danger to Love after Marriages-Causes of the decline of Love — Mental qualities the most en- 
during — How Love may be cherished — Love at first sight — How to cure Love. 

Chapter V. — Uncertainty, a promoter of Love — Difficulty, a promoter of Love — Effects 
of difficulty, two-fold — Absence strengthens Love — Effect of little caprices and quarrels. 

Chaiter VI. — Books and Music a food of Love — Gifts — Vicious and imprudent conduct 
growing out of Love-^VVretchedncss arising from injudicious marriages — Love sometimes 
changes to aversion — Danger of marrying without Love. 

CE.tPXEK Vll. — Marriage without affection the result of an unnatural heartless state of so- 
eiety— Courtship a delightful period of life — Immoral tendency of Marriage without Lore. 

POETRY OF LOVE. 

Chapter I. — Love, its importance, value and beauty — All noble beings live in their affec« 
l;ions — Love in its highest sense — Love identified with religion — Human nature richij devel- 
oped only through Love — Love is properly recognition — Conventional alliance — Influence of 
uncongenial bonds upon women — Mutual sentiment necessary to keep affection alive. 

Give me the Boon of Love — The Blind man to his Wife — Woman's Fidelity — A VirtuotW 
Woman — Connubial Love — My own Fireside — Wedlock. 
For this book, address, post-paid, 

NEW YORK PUBLISHING COMPANY, 

SOa- Nassau street, New York, 









^^!^^^^A^ 



^:m 






liiP 






mt.^ 



rW 



r 










A'ffl'/Vt^ 



•iV.::' ""-'A'W' 



"mn'^^ 



^m 









l^m) 






LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 



^ 






008 916 573 8 H t, _J . -i^^^?-: 







^^---j^asrjfe:! 






























£t3S«»ra.-. 

























.^3il*:.B 



'^aKsSpifae* 






^^^^"^^-^J^- 












